Once Upon a Potions Class
by ImHisMallow
Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to escape. X-Posted to DeviantArt, AO3, & AFF
1. Chapter 1: Once Upon a Potion's Class

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter One - Once Upon a Potion's Class

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Emotions:Broody prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 1 - Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: Nothing so far.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^ Also, for updates follow me on Twitter, the name is MallowCakes. I'll update this story as often as I can until it's finished. And then when it's done I'll be working on sequels to I Spy and A Mask of Gold.  
AN, the second: I'm working on fixing the quote thing. I didn't realize that they were missing. My program did that. -_- Thank you for pointing it out. :)  
AN, the third: Should be all fixed now, if there are any I missed, please let me know in reviews! 3

Hermione Granger was eternally a hopeless romantic. Ever since she could remember she had wanted two things in her life. The first thing, she had wanted to be remembered for her intelligence and the second, to get swept away in one of those great romances like shed read about in her story books. She wanted to be Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, or Snow White she just didn't want to be dumb enough to have her finger pricked or eat a poison apple. That is to say she wanted a prince, she didn't want to need a prince.

Ron found her love of Muggle fairy tales endearing. So endearing, in fact, that he had took out a loan from his brothers to buy her a book she's been eying in Flourish and Blotts' for months. It was a magical anthology of fairy tales. He had, had it for months before he worked up the nerve to give it to her. It had already passed Valentine's Day and her birthday and, not wanting to wait until Christmas, he had decided to just give it her before he lost his nerve completely.

"Hermione." Ron said, nervously before they made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast one morning, "I, um, got something for you."

He had been holding it, unwrapped, behind his back before bringing it around to show it to her. Her eyes saw the familiar fairy on the leather cover and she crooked an eye brow at him.

"The book I've been wanting? You can't afford this. I can't take this from you." She walked forward and tried to hand it back to him.

"No, I want you to have it. I know how much you like those silly muggle stories."

Hermione sighed. "Silly? As silly as going to a magic school with a boy who has a magic lightning bolt scar on his forehead and manages to find trouble no matter where it is?"

"Well, yeah. Sort of like that." He laughed slightly.

Not relenting, she walked forward to throw her arms around his neck, keenly turning her head so that his pursed lips missed hers and landed on her cheek.

Ron blushed slightly as the missed kiss didn't go unnoticed.

"Thank you, again." Hermione said with a warm smile.

"You're welcome. Lets head in to breakfast."

With a nod, Hermione followed him down into the Great Hall to meet Harry at the Gryffindor table. She had finally got a chance to look at the book that Ron gave her. She rubbed her fingers along the cover and the neatly stamped bronze fairy on the front of it who flitted around at her touch.

She looked over at Ron, his face stuffed with scrambled eggs as he spoke to their classmates and she cringed inside. He had tried so hard over the years to be with her, but she just couldn't see herself with him. He was rude, obnoxious, childish, but all he could talk about was Quidditch. She just couldn't bring herself to say yes, no matter how much her mother, or his, chided her.

She sighed, utterly bored again. She just wanted someone that she could talk to about things that interested her, but any time she'd bring up homework or education the boys would run away from her like shed grown an extra hand on her chin. It was frustrating.

It put her in a bad mood for the rest of breakfast so she almost didnt notice when the boys got up to head to potions class. That was the last thing she needed at the moment, Severus Snape swooping around the classroom like a bat spouting insults at her just because hed had a bad childhood. It wasnt her fault that his dad probably hit him or his mom put him in dresses to have tea parties with her.

She was in a worse mood by time she'd reached the dungeons. She was at her breaking point for the day and she'd barely been awake two hours. Walking in the classroom she could already see Snape was in one of his moods, but when wasn't he really?

'Just bloody peachy', Hermione thought to herself as she took her usual seat next to Neville.

"Alright, Hermione?" Neville said, turning to face her.

"Alright. "She said, trying to sound happier than she was, "You?"

"Yeah." He shrugged.

With a curt nod, she looked to the front of the classroom and waited for Professor Snape to start his lesson. It seemed that today they were going to be brewing a blood-replenishment potion. It was easy enough to do, she thought, she had read the entire potions textbook after all. So, she got the ingredients she'd need and brought them back to her desk to start the brew. Mixing it carefully and stirring at exactly the right times with exactly the right angle of her wand, the potion had turned a dark red and she knew she'd have to wait ten minutes before stirring it again.

Waiting for the time to pass, Hermione had time to stop Neville from adding something she was quite sure would either cause an explosion or make the imbiber speak in only Japanese for a month and a half. After that, she grew sufficiently bored and chanced a glance at the first few pages of her book. She couldn't wait to get back to the dorm to read it. Glancing at the contents page she was happy to find a lot of her favorite stories in it. She flipped to the last story, The Sword in the Stone, and gazed at the moving pictures of Merlin and Wart.

"Miss Granger." A familiar deep-throated drawl pierced through her trance, "As much as Id like to see you fail at something, we already have one Longbottom here and I'd like to keep my classroom in one piece, so if you would please turn your cauldron off and toss your ruined potion in the bin."

Hermione looked up at Snape and then down at the burnt muck in the bottom of her cauldron with a frown. She sighed and wiped her face with the palm of her hand in frustration.

"I'm going to use the rest of your fluxweed then." Ron came up from the desk behind her and grabbed at the unused plant. Hermione was getting ready to yell at him, when he turned to sit back down. His clumsy way of trying to show off was unimpressive as his elbow knocked into her cauldron spilling the sludge over the desk and all her books.

"Mister Weasly!" Snape yelled loudly, turning uncharacteristically red with anger, "Sit back down!"

Ron ran to his seat in fear as Neville grabbed for the sludge covered books with his gloved hands, trying to save Hermione's things. Yet, in true Neville fashion he knocked his own cauldron over onto the desk.

Snape was speechless for one of the first times and stood sputtering at the scene. "Out!", he managed to growl, "Everyone, out. Granger, stay."

"Sir?" Hermione said quietly.

"OUT!" He roared, "Everyone out but Miss Granger, now!"

The entire class scrambled to turn off their fires and ran out of the room, grabbing their things as they went.

"Sir, Im sorry." Hermione said.

"What the devil has gotten in to you?" Snape said, trying his hardest to calm down.

"Ive just..."

"Just what? Decided you're too bloody intelligent to pay attention in my class? 20 points from Gryffindor."

"I had a bad day." She grumbled, folding her arms.

"Oh, really? So sad for you, Miss Granger. Maybe we should close down the school for holiday. As you know, I live to serve." He sneered, the sarcasm biting at her.

She told herself she wasn't going to cry. Not in front of this bastard. She wasn't going to give him the pleasure. Yet, tears fought to sting her eyes.

"Get this mess cleaned up and ge-" He was going to finish, but his eyes caught the book shed been reading and he stopped, "Was this perhaps the reason for your serious lack of judgment?"

His hand went to grab the leather book out of the goopie mess, but Hermione sought to grab it first, not wanting him to confiscate it. As both their hands touched the cover the potions room became empty.

When Hermione opened her eyes she was standing next to a much younger Severus Snape in a dark bedroom and she could hear a woman and a man in the next room.

"What the hell?" Severus whispered to her, glaring at his hands in the soft moonlight that shone through the window.

Hermione shushed him before putting an ear to the door.

"We've got to, Christoph. We cant afford to feed them anymore." A womans voice spoke.

"I don't know, Emilie. They're our children." A mans voice replied, "We can't just-"

"We can't feed them anymore." The other voice interrupted, "We don't have the money. Tomorrow were going to take them into the woods and leave them there. Agreed?"

A sigh came, "Agreed."

"Well, fuck." Hermione stated simply.


	2. Chapter 2: The Trail of Breadcrumbs

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Two - The Trail of Breadcrumbs

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Inspired by Hansel & Gretal prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 2 - The Trail of Breadcrumbs  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: Nothing so far.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^  
AN2: So, the document wanted to erase a bit of the quotation marks and apostrophes again, so I had to fix it. If you see any missing let me know. I assure you I know how to punctuate and have no idea why my things keep getting eaten. ^_^  
AN3: For updates and news on any of my fics... follow me on Twitter [/#!/MallowCakes] or add my author Facebook on your Facebook [.?id=100001798549658]

Snape stopped to look at her. "What is it, Miss Granger?"

"First, lower your voice. Second, you're not going to like this."

"I already 'don't like this', I assure you."

She rolled her eyes at his attempt to regain an authoritative tone.

"Surely you didn't think I was having fun?" He asked.

"None of that matters. You have to listen carefully and do what I say."

"Hardly."

"Keep your voice down!" Hermione hissed irritated with Snape's lack of cooperation,"Look, whatever happened when the two potions collided has caused us to get pulled inside my book when we touched it. It's a book of muggle tales and I'm sure you're not familiar with them, so if we're going to get through this, you're going to have to listen to me, okay?"

Severus crossed his arms defensively over his chest looking at her critically, "I'm sure we could just use magic and to get out of this little situation you've landed us in Miss Granger, that is after all why we are witches and wizards, although I do sometimes doubt your ability."

Hermione glared angrily at his words but nodded briefly at his logic and patted her pockets ideally searching for the easy way out of their little problem. Finding nothing, she glanced around the room."Well, I don't have my wand, do you?"

"I do not require a wand to perform minor tasks of magic, Miss Granger. Watch and learn. Abluere!"

Nothing happened. Severus' brows drew together in confusion, "Abluere!" He repeated and then cleared his throat, briefly side glancing Hermione before trying again, "Very well. Transfero!"

"Maybe our magic doesn't work here, where ever here is exactly." Hermione offered attentively

"Do you think?" He snapped at her, clearly frustrated by the situation they found themselves in.

"Well, it would probably be a good idea to go along with the stories as they are told and maybe we'll find a way through this."

"Are you insane?"

"Well, it would seem the most logical thing to do, at least until we know what's going on."

Severus had to admit she was right, especially since she was the only one who knew what was going on.

"Fine. What are we supposed to do?" He asked her in defeat, relenting to follow the young witches plan.

"Well, as the story goes my name is Gretel and you're Hansel. Our step-mother and father are going to take us out into the woods tomorrow and leave us there. So, we have to gather pebbles and drop them as we go. When the moon comes up, it will shine off of them and we can follow them home."

Severus' eyes narrowed as he listened to Hermione's explanations.

"That's all? What do muggles see in these stories? Bad parenting practices and inane endings?"

"No, that's not all! After we come home they'll lock us in the next time so we can't get out. Then they'll take us out again and leave us. That time we will have to take breadcrumbs. Just follow my lead, okay? You'll have to trust me here."

Severus groaned rubbing his hands over his youthful face and nodded. After they were sure they wouldn't be caught, they snuck outside and gathered the pebbles they would need. Then, they came back in and went to sleep, ready for the next morning.

"Hansel! Gretel!" A woman's voice woke them, "It's time to get up. We're going down to the woods today."

Hermione woke, hoping that it was just a bad dream and she'd be back in her bed at the top of Gryfindor tower, deep within the safety of Hogwarts and Ron would make moon eyes at her until she wanted to throw up in her Pumpkin Juice. Harry would make a joke about Draco's hair and everything would be normal again. But, no, she woke up in a small room with her professor in the next bed and they were getting ready to be left in the woods by their idiot parents.

"Wake up, honey." Their step-mother nudged Severus, "Aren't you excited for our little family outing?"

He turned on his back and looked up at her, "Ecstatic." His voice, plain.

"Come on, Hansel. Let's go." Hermione turned to him and forced a smile.

They both got up and had breakfast with their fake parents and together they all headed into the woods. Every few feet Hermione would drop a rock and then Severus would drop one. She was sure to make this work they would have to follow the stories almost exactly. She had an idea... if they could just make it to The Sword in the Stone maybe Merlin could send them back somehow.

She certainly wasn't about to tell Snape about her silly notion, but if she could just drag him along for the ride she was sure that her idea would work.

It was obvious to the both of them that the people that were supposed to be their parents were confused at the lack of conversation and general child-like qualities of their children, but they just didn't know what to say. Mostly, they went off in corners to examine the forest together, anything to get away from talking to these people.

"Hermione," Severus whispered to her as they pretended to look at some daisies, "I thought you said they were going to leave us here."

She eyed the two adults cautiously, "They probably think they can't sneak off properly. Let's busy ourselves in this bush so maybe they'll leave."

He nodded and bent over to pick at the berries with her until they heard a quick shuffling behind them and they were sure they were alone. As they both straightened a small collection of berries in each of their hands, they exchanged knowing looks, finally the story was beginning to get somewhere.

"Finally," Professor Snape said, setting down in the dirt, "I thought they'd never leave."

Hermione sat down beside him and pulled her fingers through her hair, "Me neither. This is ridiculous. I was having the worst day in history yesterday, and the last thing I needed was getting stuck in a book with my potion professor."

"Oh yes, Miss Granger. I'm sure you have it so hard what with your parading around like you know everything and your getting into mischief with the Bumbling Duo. You have it so tough."Severus answered with a sneer, after side glancing her, taking in the thick forest around them.

"Silly me, I forgot I wasn't talking to a human being." Hermione said shortly, willing herself not to let any tears fall, taking in the deep forest scenery in the opposite direction so he would not see her reaction to his words. "I won't let it happen again."

He was going to say something else, but decided to drop it, he really didn't want to deal with her at the moment anyway.

"I should let you know, we'll be together through this story, but most of the stories that follow will split us up. If my assumptions are correct, in the next story you will be a prince. I'll just need you to come and find me. That's all."

He made a noise in his throat that resembled a laugh, "You and your two trouble making, idiot friends are going to get it when we get out of here. You're going to have a thousand detentions and negative house points until you graduate when I'm done with you lot."

"Fine, whatever, I don't care right now! I get that you want everyone to be as miserable as you! All I'm trying to do is get us through this in one piece and you're being childish." She stood quickly and walked over to the other side of the clearing to sit and wait for night fall.

"I'm being childish?" He mumbled to himself, with a scowl of irritation etched into his hard face.

They didn't say another word to each other until the moon was shining through the trees, and the night air blew cold.

"It's time to go." He said, shortly, standing up and walking toward her.

She rose and started walking with him without a word. Glancing down to make sure they were following the pebbles, they made it home and walked in to find two very surprised parents sitting at the dinner table, the table set for only two people.

Hermione smirked at them, "Mama! Papa! I'm sure you were so worried. We lost you in the woods and almost couldn't find our way home."

Severus couldn't help but smile at the dripping sarcasm in her voice as their storybook parents mouths fell open. Maybe the next few days wouldn't be so drawl after all.

It was another week before their make believe parents tried to fool them again. Hermione woke one night to find the door to their room had been locked from the outside and the window nailed shut.

She woke Severus to tell him what she found.

"Miss Granger, this time with you has just recently reached bearable. Must you wake me up with your inane findings."

"I just thought you should know they'll be taking us out again tomorrow." She pouted slightly at his weak attempt at scolding her.

"What do you expect me to do with this knowledge then?" Severus argued tiredly from where he slept, Hermione stopped, not knowing how to reply, why had she woken him? He knew that it would be happening. He knew how theyd' have to proceed the next morning. Yet, she felt the need to wake him up and hear his voice.

"If that is all, Ill be going back to bed." Severus smirked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I suppose thats everything. I'm sure you remember the plan, then?"

"Do you think I cannot handle such simple tasks as some breadcrumbs and a chicken bone, Miss Granger?" His voice, not as angry as he wanted it to sound.

"I was just making sure, Professor. I just don't want anything to go wrong."

Snape could sense that she was worried and he almost cared. Almost. He turned away from her in his bed and let his eyes close again.

"Everything will be fine." He whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

Hermione's eyes widened in the slight shock that Professor Snape had actually reassured her. He didn't make a snippy comment about her over eagerness to learn or poke fun at the fact that her two best friends were less than exemplary. He simply said what she needed to hear and that was that.

She didn't know what to do because there in the dark she was sure she felt a tinge of that old school-girl crush coming back to her and she wasn't prepared to deal with that right now. So, instead of face reality, if thats what you could call what was going on, she simply went to bed and forced her thoughts to stop.

The next morning the sun woke both of them and they went to a small breakfast of an egg and old toast. It was just after they had both hid their toast in their pockets that their dear step-mother announced to them that they would again be taking a trip into the woods.

"Be careful not to get lost this time, children." She smiled endearingly at both of them.

"Oh, we wont, mother." Severus assured looking at her with ice in his eyes, the word mother slung like a weapon from his lips.

The woman looked at him in shock, almost dropping the plates she was clearing from the table, before regaining her composure and turning quickly to the sink.

Hermione and Severus smiled at each other.

"Time to go, kids!" Their father came in looking rather dejected and hurried them toward the door, "Your mother's decided to stay home this time, so its just us." He tried his hardest to smile, but he just managed to look crazy.

So, off again they went into the woods and they went through the motions once again. Breadcrumbs were dropped onto the forest floor and attempts at conversation were made until once again they were left alone in the middle of the forest.

"Well this was just an emotionally exhausting experience." Hermione said, setting at the base of a tree.

Severus grunted in reply and found a tree next to her to take up residence under.

"I've always hated this story, you know?" Hermione glanced over at him, "It's horrid and to think parents like this actually exist. I don't understand it."

Severus was quiet for a long while before replying, "Well, it isn't like the father wants to let his children go. The step-mother is the problem here. I still don't understand the point of this story. I suppose there are worse things a father can do to his children."

Their eyes met and Hermione knew that he had meant to let her understand something about his own past.

The silence washed calmly over them. It wasn't uncomfortable, it was full of an understanding. It was the most peaceful they'd been around each other since they'd met.

Night fell once again as the moon brightened the forest and the crickets began to chirp. They stood silently and went off in search of the house they were sure they would find.

On the way back to the cottage in the woods, Hermione quizzed Severus on the stories they'd be going through, just as they had been doing in the weeks before their second trip to the woods. He seemed to understand what he would be doing and Hermione trusted his intelligence so she wasn't really worried that everything was going to work out fine.

"So, you think Merlin will be able to help us?" He asked her, intrigued despite himself about her theory.

"I can only hope so, we haven't any other way of getting out of here, other than perhaps completing The Sword in the Stone, but that could very well send us back to the beginning of the book." She replied.

"I suppose so. I don't want to take another chance like that. I've had enough of being this young again. Although, I've been happy with this youthful spine that doesn't hurt when I walk."

She smiled at him, surprised he was actually talking to her like she existed for once. After they thought their feet might fall off, they finally came to a small house made of candy in the middle of a clearing and, after all, they were pretty hungry. Severus turned to look at Hermione with raised brows in question, he was certain in all his years of teaching no muggle student had mentioned houses built out of sweet confectionery to be normal.

"And this part?"

"The witches house, although probably just some old muggle hag." Hermione dismissed.

They hurried over to a piece of the roof and started munching on the delicious gingerbread roof, a liquorice window sill, some chocolate bar shingles. After they had cleared a good portion away and they both started feeling rather ill, and at that very moment, a short, ugly witch opened the door and walked out.

"Who's that nibbling on my house?" She demanded, seeming to be a fearful witch, appearing however a hot headed, quite tame little old woman.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the obvious, stereotypical witch that had emerged. "It's just us forest animals." She answered drily.

"Forest animals don't speak. You sound like children." The witch spoke again, "Come closer, my dears, and let me get a look at you."

'Forest animals don't speak, indeed.' Severus thought to himself, 'from what Hermione had told him this past week, that is all they did.'

The two of them inched forward to the old lady and she grabbed hold of their shoulders, pinching slightly.

"Why the two of you are skin and bones! This will never do. Come inside and I'll make you some food."

Knowingly, they followed woman inside her house and she made them quite a feast that made their stomachs turn with all the sugar already in them. It wasn't long before the witch trapped Severus-Hansel in a cage and Hermione-Gretel chained to the wall and they weren't the least bit surprised, why would they be?

Day after day, the witch would make Hermione feed Severus a feast while she had scraps to live off of, even though he would sneak her a bit of food. He couldn't even eat all the food she was giving him, but she'd get angry if he didn't try to eat most of it.

Every day she would tell him to reach his finger out to her so she could see if he was getting plump and every day she would get frustrated at his lack of weight gain. Finally, there came the day when she was fed up.

She turned to the girl, chained to the corner of the room, "Enough waiting, I'm eating your wretched little brother today. Get over here, girl and light the oven for me."

Hermione did as she was told, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves and waited for the oven to get hot.

The witch came back to see if she was finished and leaned down to feel the oven, "Girl, I need to you open the oven and make sure it's hot enough. Get down there."

Hermione leaned toward the stove and told her, "I don't know if I can, Maam. The stove seems a little small for me."

"Nonsense!" The witch spat, "Move out of the way, I'll check it."

She shoved her out of the way and leaned over to peer in herself. Hermione took up the space behind her and shoved her in with all her might and closed the door on her. Behind her the witch screamed and cursed, fighting against the door, Hermione fought to keep it closed and as the last words of the witch died behind her, fog over came her vision and Hermione was in a large room.

She looked around to see where she was, a small window was on one side of the room and a heavy chained door was on the other. The rest of the room held a bed, a dresser, a vanity, some chairs, and a few odds and ends. Looking in the mirror, Hermione smiled to herself to see the long brown braid that reached far around the room and knew that her plan had worked, at least so far.

Now, she just had to sit and wait.

A old woman's voice called from the window, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair. So I may climb thy golden stairs."


	3. Chapter 3: Thy Golden Stair

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Three - Thy Golden Stair

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Inspired by Rapunzel prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 3 - Thy Golden Stair  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: Nothing so far.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^

Hermione looked around to see where she was, a small window was on one side of the room and a heavy chained door was on the other. The rest of the room held a bed, a dresser, a vanity, some chairs and a few odds and ends. Looking in the mirror, Hermione smiled to herself to see the long blonde braid that reached far around the room and knew that her plan had worked, at least so far.

Now, she just had to sit and wait.

A old woman's voice called from the window, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair. So I may climb thy golden stairs."

"Great." Hermione grumbled to herself and hoisted herself up off the bed. At least it worked, she told herself, she couldn't get too mad about it. She walked over to the small window and let loose her long braid down the tower.

Seconds later, a short, fat sorceress stood in front of her and helped her pull her hair back into the room.

"What's the matter, Rapunzel?" The woman said, "Didn't you miss your mother? You have a strange look on your face."

"What?" Hermione barely heard her, "No, no, mother. I'm fine. I just didn't sleep very well last night. I felt like I had a pea under my mattress."

She snickered under her breath at her own joke.

The woman gave her a strange look. "Be that as it may. I have come to you today in hopes that you would sing me a lovely song. Do my old heart some good."

Two things had shocked Hermione that probably shouldn't have. The first, the witch wasn't entirely the mean old hag that she'd expected her to be. Sure she was locked up in a tower and she was climbing up her hair, which didn't feel great at all, but at least she wasn't hexing her or something. Secondly, she had forgotten that Rapunzel had indeed sung. That's what called the prince to her, how could she forgot that part?

It wasn't that Hermione was a bad singer, quite the opposite actually, but she certainly never sung in front of another person. Here goes nothing, she thought to herself and she began to sing "Sing, Sweet Nightingale" from the Muggle movie, Disney's Cinderella, the irony did not escape her but it was one of her favourite songs.

After she had finished, the old woman smiled and thanked her before conjuring her up a meal. She ate as the old woman sat and talked about her day. She had 7 cats and she loved each of them equally. Her favourite colour was green. Her mother had died 2 years ago from a heart attack and she hated chickens. Not that she cared, but what other entertainment was she going to get in here?

After she was done eating and the sun had begun to set on the horizon, the old woman said her goodbyes and asked her to let her back down so she did and she was alone in the tower to think about Severus and to hope he was going to come and rescue her soon.

She wasn't sleepy yet so she sat on the end of the bed and sung quietly to herself. If she was going to be doing this daily, she might as well warm up her vocal cords. She didn't want to embarrass herself. Imagine that.

After she got tired enough she went over to the huge, fluffy bed and laid down. She fell asleep immediately.

When she woke up the next morning, she nearly fell over trying to get out of bed. She wasn't used to the extra weight on her scalp yet. She noticed a door that she didn't notice the day before. She went over and opened the door. It led her to a moderately sized bathroom with a closet.

Happily, she put on a hair net she found and got in the shower. She changed into a pale green dress and went back into the bedroom. It had been a long while since she'd been clean. They didn't have much water during their Hansel and Gretel tale.

She sat around for a few and just before she thought she'd go stir crazy, she heard the old woman at the bottom of the window again. She let her in again and thought she'd have to sing again. Except this time the woman conjured a large hairbrush and turned toward her.

"It's time to brush your hair, dear. Set down and let's begin." She smiled big and squinted as Hermione grabbed the other chair and set down with her back facing the witch.

Again, Hermione was silent as the lady spoke about her day. She went to the market and tended to her garden that morning. Mort, the man that owned the town general store asked her out for coffee and she told him she had to think about it. She planted a few new flowers and then came to visit.

After her hair was brushed out and braided again, she was asked to sing. She did, of course. The old lady just sat and listened, smiling the whole time. When she was done, she got up to leave the same way she had entered and left Hermione alone again.

She has to admit she was getting kind of lonely. So, after some thought, she decided to sit at the opening of the window and sing in hopes that this would be the night for Severus to find her. But even after a long while, no one came and she went to sleep with a small, simple ache in her heart.

The next day was much the same as the others, but she held on to hope and went through the motions. Again, after the lady left for the day she found herself by the window. Where was he? She began to give up on him, but quickly decided that he was a prince and maybe he did have some duties to take care of first.

Doubt almost won out at first because she reasoned that maybe he had decided that the life of a prince would be better than the life of a greasy potion's master with a know it all student and her trouble making friends. Then, she decided that there was probably nothing in life that Professor Snape loved more than swooping around the Hogwarts' dungeon, giving kid's detention and brewing potions.

Still, he never came, so again with that gnawing ache in her heart, she went to bed and began a night of fitful sleep.

The next night, her waiting proved fruitful. As she was singing, she heard rustling below in the bushes and the familiar voice she'd been waiting to hear spoke.

"Miss Granger?"

Relief washed over her as she leant over the edge of the window and saw a dark figure below.

"You're supposed to say... She started.

"Yes, I realize I'm not sticking to your script. Just let me up."

She toyed with the idea of just telling him that if he didn't want to play nice he could just go back to his palace, but she decided not to for two reasons. First, she was sure it didn't matter what he said, as long as the story continued as planned it would be fine. Secondly, she didn't know what she'd do if he actually turned away and left her there.

She turned her back toward the window, braced herself and tossed her hair down. She felt the tug start as he climbed up her hair and not a moment later his tall silhouette stood framed against the night sky shining in through the window. He wore nice clothes and a long robe.

His long, black hair was washed and pulled back into a neat ponytail. Hermione felt her heart thumb harder in her chest.

"Miss Granger." He smiled and bowed before her, "How have you been?"

"Imprisoned. You?" She raised an eyebrow, trying not to sound angry at the time it took this night to arrive.

"Busy. I'm sorry it took so long." One side of his mouth rose, "I had decrees to sign and idiot suitors to meet. I finally told the Chancellor, who by the way looks creepily like Mr. Filch, last night that if he planned anything for me the next few days I would have him hung at the earliest possible convenience."

Hermione found herself laughing despite herself.

"So what's it like being a prince?" She finally asked him.

"Boring." He told her, drawing out the word, "They wouldn't let me do anything for myself. I always had someone following me around. Filling my bath water. Cutting my steak. Fluffing my pillows. It gave me a bloody headache."

She laughed again, "Sounds horrible."

"I suppose some people enjoy that, but it's just not my style."

She nodded.

"How was the being imprisoned?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Boring, also. The old witch that put me here, she visits me every night, brushes my hair and makes me sing. She tells me about her day and then she leaves. I thought that she'd be abusive or something. She did imprison me in a tower, after all but it seems that she's just lonely. I can understand that, she's in that house all alone all the time."

"Have you been?"

"Been what?" Hermione questioned lightly with raised brows.

"Lonely?"

Hermione was slightly taken aback by the question and the sincere look on his face. What was he playing at? Perhaps he was thinking of her while he was away. Her heartbeat rose again.

"Yes." She breathed, not allowing herself to raise her voice in fear that it might shake.

"I'm sorry." He said, matter of factly.

They sat there in silence a bit longer before Severus began talking about how his life had gone the past few days.

The sun had begun to rise while they were talking and Hermione was sad to tell them that he had to go before the woman had a chance to come see her. He turned towards the window and she threw her hair over allowing him to climb down.

"Remember," She said before he left, "You have to come back tomorrow so the witch can catch you here."

"I remember." He whispered, "I have to be blind for this. You don't forget something like that."

She smiled as he climbed down and she immediately jumped in bed and fell asleep.

Hermione couldn't have known how long she was asleep before a loud voice awoke her.

"Rapunzel! Rapunzel!" She could hear the old woman calling from the base of the tower, "Where is that girl? I know you're up there. Rapunzel!"

"Coming!" She called loudly as she got up out of the bed and walked over to the window, throwing her hair down and allowing the lady to climb up.

Hermione sighed, not wanting to deal with another day of the woman.

Lonely and nice as she was, she was boring and her stories never changed. But, for some reason she didn't tell the lady about Severus. Maybe it was the thought of another night of just talking to him and not having to worry about adjusting to a new environment.

Last night meant a lot to her and she wished to herself that she could just tell him that. She knew if she said even one thing to him that showed even a bit of emotion he'd laugh in her face. She didn't know what she'd say tonight when he came up to her room and there was no witch to push him back down when he got there. But, for the time being she was okay with that.

She wondered again how she would explain this to him when he arrived later.

The woman climbed up her hair once again and arrived in her room. They set down in the chairs and talked as her hair was brushed, just like they had all the other times. Hermione was unusually bored and wasn't acting herself, but the old witch didn't seem to take noticed and just kept talking all the way through the afternoon. When she had finished, she left, just as cheerily as she came.

Night finally fell and Hermione took a seat by the window to sing. It seemed to take forever before she heard his voice coming from the bottom of the tower and she smiled.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair." He said, his voice with a hint of mild annoyance.

She let the length of her hair fall down the side of the tower and felt his weight tug against her scalp and he climbed up.

His shadow stood framed against the moonlight once again and her throat felt dry when she tried to speak. In only one night, could she have forgotten how handsome he had been? Her stomach twisted as she tried again to speak.

He looked at her as his eyebrows sunk on his forehead with confusion, "Care to explain how I still have my eyesight?"

She swallowed, managing to dislodge the lump from her throat, "Well, you see, I tried to tell the witch about you, but she just wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise. She even threatened to sew my mouth shut a few times."

"I see." He eyed her with suspicion, "I find it hard to believe that you let an old woman speak to you like that."

She blushed and looked down quickly to hide her face, "I didn't want to get hexed when I had no way to defend myself." She said, quickly.

He said nothing at first, but then told her, "Well, I suppose it's fine to wait another day. I better be going then. If you don't mind."

He gestured to the window, clearly wanting her to let him down, but that wasn't part of her plan.

She bit her bottom lip and stepped forward, "Well, I was hoping you still might l like to stay a while and talk."

"Talk?" He repeated, studying her face.

"Unless you don't want to." Her voice lowered.

"It's not that..." He halted, clearing his throat, "I just didn't think you'd want someone here when you don't seem to get many moments of silence."

"Oh." She blinked, surprised that he even paid attention, "No, it's actually better... I mean, I'd rather not be alone if it's all the same."

"I see." He walked toward her, "I guess I could stay... and talk."

"Just for a little while would be nice."

She smiled up at him and he walked closer to her, causing her throat to tighten with panic. She took a few steps back trying to force herself to breath. She could smell him and it made her dizzy. There were soaps and shampoos with an under currant of his potion's ingredients. She grabbed onto the side of her bed so she couldn't fall backwards.

His teeth gleamed white in the light of the room as he grinned at her, "So, what did you want to talk about, Miss Granger?"

She hated when he called her that, there was no reason to keep up civilities here, with no one they knew around and it brought the harsh realities down on her. Perhaps he was trying to distance himself from her since they were being forced into bizarre closeness, but it still annoyed her.

"Anything." She told him, "I just need an intelligent conversation or my brain will die."

"Let's not be dramatic."

"You know what I mean. Don't patronize me."

What was she doing? He hasn't, really and he was being civil. She was frustrated with the fact that she didn't know how to talk to him and she was taking it out on him.

"I... I wasn't patronizing you." Surprisingly, he didn't raise his voice or lose his temper, he simply told her this face, screwed up his mouth, and set down in the nearby chair.

He was acting strange, she thought, usually an outburst like that would've sent him on a flurry of insults. She decided not to question it too much and set on the edge of the bed across from him.

"So, how was your day?" She asked him.

"The same, really. Servants and snivelling peasants. You?"

"Also the same. Old lady brushing my hair and prattling on incessantly."

"It's unfair how ladies get the short end of the stick in these stories, really."

"Well, from how you talk about it, you're getting the short end of the stick, not me."

"I do assume that you would be better suited for a life of royalty than I, but I'm also not enough of an ass to think that my current role is in anyway worse than being locked in a tower listening to the idle chatter of an old woman."

"Did I detect some semblance of a compliment hidden in there somewhere?" She looked into his eyes.

"Perhaps." He replied with a smirk.

She blushed again and they were silent. He felt different and she just couldn't explain it. They talked for a few hours before deciding it was for the best if he let her get some sleep so she could wake up on time the next morning.

So he stood and walked towards the window as she threw her hair over.

Before hoisting himself over the side he looked her deeply in the eyes and took a breath.

"I bet you can't wait to get rid of this hair." He said, "I, for one, like your normal hair. Although, I will miss your singing. Your voice is quiet lovely, you know?"

He grabbed her hand and pressed his lips to the palm of her hand before making a swift exit.

She wobbled slightly as his weight tugged on her scalp, her knees begging to give in as she recalled the warmth of his lips on her. Once the weight left she fell to the ground and stared at the place on her palm.

She had no idea how much later it was when she finally stood and wandered to her bed, but it took her no time at all to fall asleep with a smile on her face.

She woke the next morning with enough time to take a shower before the old woman came, calling on her. It took her no time to explain that a handsome prince had wandered through the woods and heard her lovely voice. Also, that he had pretended to be the woman and climbed up her hair.

She told the woman she was scared that he might come again.

The old lady became enraged, which scared Hermione because she had never thought that she could get angry and it was, after all, a bit scary. Short and angry was nothing to tussle with, especially a short and angry witch, she had seen Professor Sprout when she was mad.

The woman kept screaming about how she had tried so hard to keep her locked away and saying "What's mine is mine." Most of the things she was rambling about, Hermione couldn't even keep up with. So, she just kept nodding and agreeing politely.

"I'll be back this evening to take care of this fool. Who does he think he is? What's mine is mine." She turned with a huff and pointed at the window, "Let me down."

Hermione did just that and all that was left to do was wait, which she also did and the witch did indeed return at night fall, still as angry as ever.

After she had climbed up, she ordered Hermione over to the window and told her to 'sing her little heart out'. Hermione sung and sung until her throat was dry and cracking, she felt horrible because she knew what was about to happen and it made her sad to think that Severus would have to be wandering around, unable to see.

Finally she heard his voice below. "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair." and a low mumble that only she could here, "There better be a witch up there."

She almost giggled at his joke but coughed it back, throwing her hair down to him. He climbed up as the witch waited for him behind Hermione's back and no sooner had his arm touched the window sill then the witch cut the long ponytail that held him there.

He latched onto the sill with one arm, struggling to hold himself up.

"Oh no, we'll have none of that, you silly boy." The witch smiled evilly, "You see, this woman belongs to me. Her voice belongs to me, your ears are not worthy of hearing this angel. Goodbye."

With that, she pushed Severus down into the large brambles below. Seconds later, Hermione could hear his cries of pain. Tears started to fall down her face.

"Oh, I know you cared for him, dear girl. Probably more than you ever cared for me." The witches' face was still dark, "Which is why I'm sending you far away from here, to a town where no one will recognize you or love you. You'll work for a bar man there, he owes me a favour and as much anger as I have for you I couldn't let you starve. Be gone from my sight, Rapunzel, never return to this place."

With a flash of light, Hermione was sent to the stoop of a tavern, a note in her hand she decided to knock on the door. A large man with a moustache answered and she handed him the letter. He took her in and gave her food and a place to sleep, she couldn't sleep though. Her mind drifted to Severus who was probably in pain somewhere right now and all she wanted to do was help him.

It was two weeks later when she was hanging bar towels on the line in the back of the store that she finally heard from him. She was singing as loud as she could, hoping that he would find her that much easier and he came, calling her name through the small gate and feeling his way with a cane.

"Rapunzel?" She heard him say, "Rapunzel, is that you?"

She almost cried with joy and walked over to him, "You're going to have to learn to use my real name some time, you know?"

"Miss Granger." He sighed with relief, "At last."

"Professor..." She moved closer, but stopped, "I think I've got to hug you for this to work."

It was an awkward moment, but she didn't dare touch him without his permission.

"Eh..." He started before holding his arms out to her.

She embraced him with relief, the tears she couldn't hold back hitting his cheeks and the scene became cloudy again as she felt him being pulled from her.

The next thing she knew, she was in a forest, beside a large pond, a gold ball in her hand. She smiled and tossed the ball in without another thought.

"Oh boo hoo." She called in a loud and sarcastic voice, "My favourite ball had fallen in the pond."

From below her, on the ground a familiar voice said, "A frog? Really? I thought there was something fishy about this when you were telling me the story." Hermione couldnt help grinning staring down at the Snape frog.


	4. Chapter 4: The Lips That Kiss Frog Lips

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Four - The Lips That Kiss Frog Lips

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Inspired by The Frog Prince prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 4 - The Lips That Kiss Frog Lips  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: Nothing so far.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^  
AN2: Thank you EVERYONE for all the reviews about this story so far, I love them all! ^_^ The next chapter won't be up for about 2 weeks, sorry. Don't hate me. It takes a while to write these and the next chapter is the last one I've got done for now. This story will end up being 17 chapters when it's all finished so be patient. Mask of Gold and I Spy will also be turning into chapter stories when I'm done here. The reviewers are going to get what they want. :D I also have plenty more one-shots and chapter stories after those are done so stay tuned. I'm just letting you guys know all this because I want you to know that these will be slow coming because I have a lot on my plate right now. Trying to find a job and hanging out with my husband as well as an actual novel I'm working on and a Dungeons and Dragons game I'm DMing. But, I will NOT just abandon this story, just be patient. Love you guys!

The next thing she knew, she was in a forest, beside a large pond, a gold ball in her hand. She smiled and tossed the ball in without another thought.

"Oh boo hoo." She called in a loud and sarcastic voice, "My favourite ball had fallen in the pond."

From below her, on the ground a familiar voice said, "A frog? Really? I thought there was something fishy about this when you were telling me the story."

Snape as a frog looked as any other frog might. The only reason Hermione was sure it was Snape was the decidedly Snape-like look on it's amphibious face.

"Did that slip my mind?" Hermione said, innocently, she couldnt help the amusement slipping into her tone, "I could have sworn I told you that the story was called 'The Frog Prince'. Did I not?"

"You know very well you told me that this story was called 'The Golden Ball and the Pond', you insolent girl. I wondered why this was the one you told me the least about. A Gryfindor, indeed. I'm positive the sorting hat was wrong about you."

"Oh please, one tiny little lie does not a Slytherin make. Now, get the ball. I'd rather like to be done with this tale as soon as possible."

"What if I don't?"

"Then we'll be stuck here forever and you'll be stuck as a frog forever. Which means, I can go be royalty. You may be right, actually. See you later, Froggy. Have fun with your slimy friends. Hope you find a slimy wife to be with forever."

She got up and started walking in the direction to the castle.

"Alright. Wait. I know you wouldn't like living here as much as me, but you're right. Let's get this over with.

"Go on then." She turned and raised an eyebrow at him, crossing her arms.

Even on his frog face she could see his complete abhorrence of the idea, but he took a minute to get used to his legs and jumped up onto the side of the pond and then into it.

Hermione set on the side of the pond, waiting for him and thought about what she had to do. She hadn't told him that part either. She would have to kiss him. She wanted to kiss him. She might even had been a little excited about the fact.

He finally emerged, holding the golden ball in his mouth. He hoped up beside her and spat it on the edge of the pond.

"I thought you were supposed to take me home after this."

"No, I have to go home and you have to storm the castle and tell my father I wouldn't bring you home with me, remember?"

"Oh yes. I get to be an annoyance to you for once. How lucky for me."

"I'm not that bad."

"You have no idea."

"If you say so. I think you enjoy it sometimes. Have fun spending the night out here."

"Don't you think I should at least follow you to make sure I know where to go."

"It's the only castle in these woods, I'm sure you can find it on your own."

"Miss Granger..." He said in an irritated voice.

She sighed, "Kidding. Come on."

He hopped along behind her as she took big steps purposely making it hard for him to catch up. She enjoyed annoying him once she knew she could do it without getting in trouble.

Once they got to the castle walls she told him to find somewhere to sleep and come in around breakfast time. He nodded and looked for somewhere to go while she made her way to the gates and entered the castle. When she got there, she had a big dinner with the king and had a bath drawn for her. She submerged herself in the hot water and thought about Severus outside in a tree or maybe under a leaf and she was getting ready to sleep on satin sheets.

She almost decided to open the window and call for him when she remembered how he left her stranded in a tower for weeks before he came to see her.

Maybe it wasn't his fault, but one night in the forest wouldn't kill him. He knew how to take care of himself.

After the bath and getting dressed, there was someone made to brush her hair. She didn't even know if she'd remember how to do it herself anymore when she got back if things kept up like this.

Her hair was then set in curlers and she went to sleep. It was a wonderful sleep where she dreamed of her friends back home and if they missed her. Then, of having potion's class and her smiling at the professor and him tossing a secret, naughty grin back at her. She knew it was a dream, but at the same time she knew she was in trouble. It was the closeness. They were drawn together and it was making her fall for him.

She was woke up by one of the servants who told her she had been moaning in her sleep and sweating. They thought she was sick and it was time for breakfast anyway. They dressed her and did her hair before sending her down to breakfast.

The king hardly ever spoke to her and she wondered if that was out of the ordinary for them. Either way, he didn't seem to notice so she just ate her strawberry pancakes and sat beside him, waiting for Professor Snape to arrive.

She was almost done with breakfast when he hopped into the great hall telling the king the tale of the golden ball and how the princess had refused to take him home with her even after promising. He was laying it on a little thick, she thought, punishment for her attitude the day before.

"Daughter, you know better than to promise someone something and then not follow through with it. I raised you better than that. Your dear mother would be appalled, were she alive to see this."

"I know, father, I'm sorry. I just couldn't help it. He was just an icky, little frog."

"Frog or not, you still have to repay your debts."

"But, father." She put on her best whiny princess act, "He's slimy."

"I can't believe you're acting this way. What would your mother say?"

"Fine." She crossed her arms in front of her, "Come here, frog, and have some breakfast with me."

Severus hopped up on the table and ate the rest of what was on her plate. He smiled and sat on the table looking up at the both of them.

"Thank you." He said.

"Thank you for getting my little girl's ball from the pond. It's been in the family for years. I don't know what I'd do if she lost it. You should stay the night to repay the debt. We can make you a small bed on my daughter's vanity."

"Father! No!" Hermione faked shock as well as she could.

"No more insolence, girl." He boomed, "You have to learn to respect people who are willing to go the extra mile in this world."

"Fine." She winked at the professor who was quite honestly, impressed with her acting abilities.

The rest of the day, they spent outside talking near the entrance to the forest.

"So how do we get out of this one? I can't remember you telling me."

Snape asked her.

Her eyes went wide as she thought quickly of an answer. "Well, I suppose it happens after you stay the night in my room."

"That doesn't seem like the ending to one of these stories to me, but you're the expert." His small, frog shoulders shrugged, "Mostly, I'm just thankful that this one seems to be quick and painless."

Quick, anyway, Hermione thought to herself, and painless for me. She was so nervous for night to come, but she wasn't about to let this chance pass her by it was the one thing she was waiting for and she even had an excuse.

Night was coming quickly and Hermione went to have her bath as the servants prepared Severus' bed for the night. She was planning on relaxing a while and then going in to explain what has to happen to him, but just as the tension was beginning to leave her body, there was a small knock at the door.

"Come in?" She called.

The door cracked open and she could see Snape's small form walk in with a webbed hand over his eyes.

"It's okay, professor, I'm covered by bubbles and you're in the floor. You couldn't possibly see anything. What is it?"

He peeked out from behind the hand and, after seeing what she said was true, he uncovered his eyes completely.

"I was just thinking." He said, clearing his throat, "I know I haven't known about these stories long, but I've heard enough of them lately. I can't help but think there's something you're not telling me."

Hermione's face flushed red and she felt the heat in her body rise as she nodded.

"There is something you're not telling me?"

"I suppose. I was going to have this discussion when I was done with my bath, but now's a good a time as any."

"Well, spit it out. From the sounds of it you're going to have to kill me. Or I you. That's not the case is it?"

"No..." She paused and took a breath, "We're going to have to kiss."

She let the last part out quickly, just trying to get it out without sounding too nervous. She felt her body get hot and she knew there was no way she wasn't red from head to toe.

"That's how we get out of this story." She said, slowing her voice and taking a breath. "I'm going to have to kiss you."

She tried to read his face, but couldn't. He seemed calm, but with something underneath.

"There's no reason to lose our cool, Miss Granger." He said, his voice holding a hint of stiffness, "It's just a kiss. If you find that abhorrent, I understand, but..."

"No." She said simply, interrupting him.

"No?"

"It's not that."

"Then what?"

"I thought maybe you wouldn't like it."

"Oh." He nodded, "I see."

"It's fine. I won't linger. It'll be over fast." Her voice was quiet.

"Whatever you want. I'll wait for you in the bedroom." He smirked at his last comment as he walked toward the door and left.

That went better than she'd hope. He was so hard to read though. He seemed angry when he thought that it was her that didn't want to kiss him, but after learning that wasn't the case his body relaxed again.

Now she was more confused than ever. He didn't seem bothered by the fact that she would have to kiss him. Damn him for giving her a sliver of hope.

Her legs wobbled as she stood up in the tub, dried off, and got dressed. She steadied her breathing and stood at the door for a few minutes before turning the knob and entering her bedroom.

This wasn't going to be her first kiss. Probably not even her longest or most romantic kiss. This would, however, be her most anticipated kiss.

His back was to her, which was probably good because if he looked at her right now she might faint. A few more breaths and steps and she was at his side.

"Professor." She choked out, her throat closing on her again.

"Miss Granger." Frog Snape turned toward her, his eyes wide.

"I'm just going to go ahead and do this, okay? I mean, if I made a big deal out of this I'd just get nervous and wouldn't be able to do it."

"Breath, Hermione. Just breath." His voice was liquid gold saying her name.

She leaned forward and planted a small kiss on his lips. A puff of smoke and he stood before her as handsome as ever.

"I'm a human." He said, smiling at her.

"But, we're still here." She frowned, "Why are we still here?"

"Maybe we need to kiss again." He shrugged.

"Maybe... we... need to...?" She stuttered.

"Kiss me... again." His voice melted over her as he leaned in and put his lips firmly on hers. Oh, it made her dizzy. He was kissing her.

Her professor was kissing her and he had called her Hermione. It wasn't Miss Granger anymore, it was magnificent!

Suddenly, his lips were pulled away from hers and she felt the smoke fill the room and suddenly she was changing and she was being pulled under water, but she could breath.

When she opened her eyes, he was no longer with her, but she was under the ocean and she had fins. It was too soon. She longed to be back in the room with his lips on hers. It had finally happened and she had to fight again to find him. This was maddening.

She floated away to find her father, the king of all the oceans.


	5. Chapter 5: The Seaweed is Always Greener

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Five - The Seaweed is Always Greener

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Inspired by The Little Mermaid prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 5 - The Seaweed is Always Greener  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: Nothing so far.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^

Suddenly, his lips were pulled away from hers and she felt the smoke fill the room and suddenly she was changing and she was being pulled under water, but as if she had ingested a healthy does of gilly weed she could breath.

When she opened her eyes, Severus was no longer with her, she was under the ocean and she had grown fins! It was too soon. She longed to be back in the tower with his lips on hers. It had finally happened and she had to fight again to find him. This was maddening.

She floated away to find her father, sure to find that he wouldn't want her near the surface of the ocean, longing to be near humans.

Snape, on the other hand, found that he was not kissing Hermione anymore, but the smooth wood of a ship's steering wheel. More upset than he'd like to admit that it wasn't her anymore. He sighed heavily, leaning his head on the wheel and letting his unkempt hair fall over his face.

He was thankful for once that this prince wasn't getting hounded by his subordinates all the time. He just let his head rest and continued thinking of her lips and how he hadn't felt the way he was feeling now in ages. Knowing there was no way she could feel anything for him but disgust and hatred made him wish this whole storybook thing would be over as soon as possible.

He glanced at his bare feet as rain started to patter on the wooden planks and he heard the far away rumble of thunder. He knew that he wouldn't have to wait long for things to start here.

Meanwhile under the sea, it was taking Hermione some time to adjust to the ocean and the new addition of fins. She had already spoken to the king and had the consummate 'humans are evil' speech. Now she could see the lightning above the blue waves and the break of a ship's hull just beyond that.

She fought to get herself at the right angle and pushed her way to the surface.

Breaking through the top she let the rain hit her cheeks. Her hair plastered to her as she squinted her eyes, straining to see who was on the boat. She could barely make out the shapes and could only hope it was the one she was looking for.

She swam over to the side and latched on to the anchor chain, waiting for the right moment. A flash of lightning overhead and she could make out the shape of a crown on the flag overhead. She smiled in this slight triumph and let herself be dragged along in the choppy ocean.

"Must I wait much longer?" Snape mumbled to himself, still laying his head on the wheel.

He straightened himself up and walked over into the middle of the deck, standing with his arms crossed by the mast. Another flash of lightning and he winced, expecting any moment to be the one, but no such luck.

"Master, you must come away from there and get to your quarters. You could get hurt up here." A man came over and said to him.

"Why don't you go to your quarters and leave me to my thoughts?" Severus said, screwing his expression up in anger.

"What ever you say, my lord." The simpering man said, backing away.

The next second, another lightning strike caused the mast to break and fall over and throw Severus into the waiting waves.

Hermione, who was about to fall asleep from waiting so long, heard the loud splash before she saw the dark figure and dove into the water, looking for the one that made the noise.

Directly below her, she saw the snake like tendrils of black hair as the body lowered into the water and she rushed to latch onto the body. It was surprisingly easier to move it in the water than she thought it would be.

Looking into his face she could tell that she needed to get Professor Snape to land as quickly as possible. She swam as fast as she could, the storm lessening overhead, until finally she reached a beach and she pulled him onto land. The carved, hard lines of his face were soft in the moonlight and she hoped silently that she had made it to land in time.

Who knows what would happen if they died in the book.

"Oh, Severus. The last kiss was too quick and now I might never get the chance again."

She did a quick round of CPR on him and smiled when he coughed and spluttered up the water.

"Hello, Professor Snape." She said, a dashing pearly white smile tugging at her rosy lips.

"I thought you were supposed to be gone when I woke up, Miss Granger." He was obviously still out of it, the vision of Hermione Granger in front of him was awe inspiring, setting his heart pounding and his blood aflame.

"Upset that I stuck around to make sure you were okay?" She teased him easily, glad shed been able to catch him.

"No, I just was ready to search and long for my mystery woman. Now that I see it's you, it's no longer a mystery."

"Not that it was before." Her face was inches from his.

"I guy can dream." A smile played on his face.

"Prince Eric!" A voice called in this distance, "Are you out here?"

"I'll see you later." Hermione whispered before rushing off to the ocean.

"I'll count on it." He called after her.

"Prince!" The voice came again.

"I'm over here." Severus called out. Staring out into the sea to see where his mermaid had gotten off to.

Hermione watched from a distance as one of the footmen came out and helped Severus up and off of the beach. After she was sure he was okay, she turned to dive under the waves and headed directly to where she knew Ursula, the sea witch, made her home.

Oddly enough, she didn't even know how she knew where to go. It was like it was ingrained in her brain. She just simply knew where to go.

Arriving at the cave opening, she slowly glided in, unsure of what was going to happen next. The wispy voices of the talking eels startled her as she neared the inner parts of the cave.

"Yes, my queen." One of them said.

"You should rule over the oceans." The other added.

"You are right, my pets." The voice that she assumed belonged to the witch said, "My no good brother has the trident that is rightfully mine. I'll find a way to get it eventually, of course."

Hermione finally entered the cave and almost lost her voice completely. "Sea witch." She whispered.

"Ah, the girl." One of the eels spoke, swimming over to her.

"Yes. Yes it's the girl." The other said, doing the same, "What shall we do with her Ursula?"

"Yes whatever shall we do with her?" The first one parroted, an evil smile pulling at its drawn features.

"Now, now, my pets." Ursula spoke finally, her large octopus body climbed down from a hole in the wall and she floated down to face the mermaid. Hermione had to stop a laugh as she had the fleeting thought that Ursula could almost be the twin of Delores Umbridge. "Let's see what this precious, young thing is after before we condemn her for swimming into my cave. Without knocking, by the way, girl. Which I find very rude."

"Sorry." Hermione's voice still not above a whisper.

The sea witch's laughter echoed off of every wall around her, "No, no, I'm kidding, obviously. Lighten up, my dear. Now, what is it that you think I can do for you?"

"Well," Hermione started finding her voice at last, "You're a sea witch, aren't you? Well, I was simply hoping you might be able to help me with something."

"Go on."

"There's this man. Human, not mer and I want to be with him. I was wondering if maybe there was a way that..."

"I could make you a human, too?"

"You're good."

"You have no idea."

"Well?"

"Of course I can do it, silly girl! The question is what price are you willing to pay for this human man?"

"Anything."

"Anything? Are you sure? That's a heavy price to pay."

"I'm sure."

"Very well. I'll make you human but there are a few conditions. First, I will take your voice as payment for my deed. Secondly, as your feet touch the ground it will burn at all times. Finally, if your human marries another that is not you then if you ever touch the ocean again you will be turned to foam. On these conditions only will I turn you into a human."

"Very well, sea witch. I accept."

An evil grin crossed the sea witch's ugly face as she went over to her cauldron and pulled bottles from many shelves, dumping them willy nilly into the cauldron. It reminded Hermione of her potion's professor and a pang shot through her of how hard it was going to be on her when everything was over.

The brew she had made was finished and she brought it over to Hermione, along with an empty bottle.

"Your voice." The sea witch said, holding the bottle up to her mouth and waving a hand. The bottle filled with an iridescent liquid and Hermione knew she could no longer speak.

"Now," Ursula instructed, "Take this bottle to the surface of the ocean and drink it there." She tossed the bottle at Hermione who caught it and floated off to do as she was instructed.

"Her voice, my queen?" The eels echoed each other.

"Yes," She smiled, tossing the bottle in the air and catching it, "With this I'll rule Atlantica, and the seven seas will be mine."

Back above the ocean, Hermione sat on the bank of the beach with her newly acquired feet in the water. She figured if it was going to hurt when she touched land she might as well wait until Severus came and got her before she pulled them out.

It was maybe an hour later when she heard the sand move behind her and felt his presence on the ground beside her.

"Hello, Miss Granger." Severus said, placing his own feet in the water, "Fancy being a fish much?"

He handed her a pad of paper and a pen.

'Oh very much, thanks. Princely things going well?' She wrote out in a flowery script and leaned the paper so he could see it.

"The same as any other, really? I think perhaps once we're out of here I don't ever want to hear the word prince again."

'I'll remember to say it every single day.' She wrote on the paper and showed it to him with a smile.

"And here I thought you didn't like detention."

'You wouldn't.' Her flowery script turned into short print.

"You'll find there's very little I wouldn't do, Miss Granger."

A shiver went up her spine and her breath caught in her throat. She didn't know how to take that, but she did know how she was going to take it. Her hand froze on the paper and she didn't know what to write. Severus could sense the tension and cleared his throat.

"Anyways, you should give me the paper back, I suppose. We can't go around cheating the system now can we? Besides, I quite like you unable to talk."

Hermione gave him a look that would have shook Harry or Ron but he simply smiled at her and laughed. He put an arm around her and grabbed the papers from her, tossing it into the ocean.

"Come on, Miss Granger, let's go to the palace. That way I won't be the only one of us getting tortured."

Hermione smiled as she prepared to stand up.

"You can lean on me as much as you need to." He told her, "I know it's going to hurt."

She nodded and grabbed for his shoulder as she stood. The pain was almost unbearable and her body threatened to give way underneath her. Severus grabbed her waist and bore most of her weight with his body. He looked proud at being able to support her weight. So much time being younger was going to spoil him.

They finally made it back to his castle and she was greeted as if she were the prince. They did everything they could to make her more comfortable. They even found a wheelchair so she didn't have to walk as much. Every day she'd be treated to a long, hot bath and any book she would ever want to read. It all paled in comparison to her to get to see Severus so much out of his element yet still so in control of everything.

She loved looking at his dark hair as it fell in his face, her eyes traced his jaw every chance they could and she loved when his voice filled the room. She had it bad. She had it really bad and she had no one to talk to but herself.

After a week of being locked inside the castle, Severus decided it would be nice to take Hermione on a carriage ride in the city to try to get her mind off of all the awful things that had happened, and even the not so awful. He found that he was not averse to spending more time with her and even when she had had her voice he had taken quite a liking to her. He'd never tell her that, of course.

So, they spent the whole day in the city, in a horse drawn carriage. He bought her cotton candy and a shish kebob along with a small necklace with a tiny chartreuse gem hanging from it. She had silently refused at first, but Severus insisted that he had the money, they might as well use it and he also reasoned that she didn't even know if they'd be able to take it with them so, it was a good experiment.

All in all it was a great day for both of them and Hermione's cheeks even ended up hurting from grinning so much. But, the time finally came to head back to the castle and when they arrived they'd both found something they were dreading.

Ursula had finally shown in a much better looking form and with Hermione's voice, no less. It wasn't a surprise, really, they were both expecting it. It was more of an annoyance that had come maybe a day too soon.

The sea witch sung in Hermione's dulcet singing voice and Severus unwillingly left Hermione's side to pretend to stare longingly into the witch-Hermione's eyes.

"Footmen." Severus said to one of the men standing near the door, "Will you be so kind as to take our less talkative guest to her rooms for her bath. I'd like to spend some time with this lovely young woman here as I do believe... you are the one who saved me from a watery death?"

The last part was spoken to Ursula. "Oh, yes, dear prince. I just couldn't stand to see you drowning. It was the least I could do." She replied, her eyelashes batting at him, "Who's the girl?"

"Nobody." Severus replied, his throat actually tightening at the lie he knew he was telling. Hermione Granger was certainly not a nobody.

Hermione frowned as the footmen rolled her to her room. She knew he was just acting, but she didn't like him calling her a nobody. Not him.

That night she sat at the dinner table as the sea witch flirted relentlessly with him and he returned with idle chatter and a few bouts of laughter. Every so often, she'd catch his eyes glancing at her and she'd smiled to herself as she ate the crab that lie on her plate. She wondered idly if the chef that worked here was at all like the one from the Disney movie she used to watch as a kid and then frowned because she'd thought how much easier the time would be with talking fish friends to help her along.

She took a sip of water and wished again that she was back at Hogwarts and she could have some pumpkin juice again. Not that she particularly enjoyed pumpkin juice, it just reminded her of home.

She waited until the end of dinner and then went to her bedroom, but she couldn't fall asleep no matter what she tried. She fondled the small gem on her necklace and hoped that maybe it would travel with them. No matter what he bought it for, he had bought it for her and that was enough for her to want to keep it. After they were back and everything was back to normal it would be something to remember this time by. Before he went back to be Snape. Before he went back to being the greasy and hateful dungeon bat.

She sighed and rolled over in the bed before falling into a fitted sleep.

A week and a half came and went in the slowest way possible, each day more depressing than the last. Hermione had to watch Severus flirt with a woman who looked almost exactly like her. She wasn't sure anymore whether he was enjoying it or not. Not that it was any of her business, she had to remind herself over and over again. Severus Snape wasn't hers.

She was in a horrible mood the day the wedding was announced, she was relieved to almost be through with this particular fairy tale. It was to her relief that the sea witch had decided she needed to go out of town and do some shopping that day without her betrothed and Severus had taken this time to pay her a visit.

At the same time, she was still a bit angry and didn't want to see him but had no way to tell him this other than crossing her arms and furrowing her brows. That is exactly what she did when he walked in the room.

"Oh don't be like that, Miss Granger. You're the one telling me to act like this with that wretched woman and then I get the cold shoulder."

She softened her expression at his words.

"I'm sorry you have to be all cooped up inside in this little room by yourself, but if I walk even 5 inches away from that loon she screeches at me like a barn owl."

Hermione smiled at the idea of Ursula screeching like an owl even if it was with her own voice.

"Anyway, I just wanted to come make sure you're alright. The wedding is tomorrow, so we won't have to put up with her for too much longer at least. I just hope this foam thing goes as planned."

Hermione nodded, hating that she couldn't say anything to him at all.

"Well, I better get out of here before that vile thing returns and cuts all of our heads off. I'll be seeing you." After that he brushed a falling hair out of her face and turned to leave.

Hermione was in shock. That was the nicest Professor Snape had ever been to anyone, she was sure of it and it was to her. He was actually being nice. How about that. One five minute visit from him and she was already back to smiling.

The night came and Hermione had just taken her bath and gotten ready for bed when there was a knock at her door and then it opened slowly.

"Are you decent?" came Hermione's stolen voice followed by Ursula walking in with a hand over her eyes, "Ah, who am I kidding? Who is now a days?" She removed the hand from her eyes and smiled.

Hermione frowned at the unwelcome visitor.

"Aw, darlin', don't be mad at your Aunt Ursula. You didn't think I'd actually make it easy for you, did you? Oh, you probably did. Well, no sweetie, that isn't how I work. I just thought I'd come make you one final offer before my big day."

Hermione waved her hand in the air as the woman paused, rolling her eyes.

"Oh yeah, you can't answer me. Well, here's the deal, sweet cheeks. I don't really want to marry the prince, I'm a sea witch, I have no need for a human man. So, you can either let the man you love marry another woman tomorrow and lead yourself to a briny, briny death or you could let yourself into his bedroom tonight as he sleeps and kill him. Then, you can be a mermaid again forever. You won't get caught, I've put everyone in a deep sleep so no worries. Take your time and think it over. The wedding's at sunrise. Ta ta!"

With those words, the witch left the room blowing her a kiss and Hermione boiled with anger. She wished she could stab Ursula right then and there, but she had to keep calm. She climbed into her wheelchair and made her way down the hall. It was weird to see the entire castle just sleeping where they stood. She didn't even want to breath for fear of disturbing something.

She rolled down the hallway and inched open Severus' door and went in. She left the door open for light and went over to his bad, he snored lightly in the silent room and she smiled as she watched him sleep. She thought of how crazy she was thinking anything could ever happen between them and knowing that he was only being nice to her because she was his student and he had to protect her. Not to mention that she was the only other actual existing person around.

She sighed and stood painfully on her feet, glad that her cries wouldn't wake him up, she leaned over his face and kissed him as hard and long as she dared before sitting back down and wheeling her way down to the beach to wait for dawn.

The feeling of his lips still warm on hers she sat happily watching the waves roll in and out before nodding off to sleep.

The morning came and the world was chilly as the sun peaked over the horizon, she knew in a few short hours Severus would be married to another woman. A cheap knock-off of herself and she hated it. She hated that it was all fake. This story book non-romance was starting to get to her.

She waited until she was sure that the wedding had ended before tossing herself fretfully into the ocean and she felt herself turn to nothing before the smoke rose in her vision and she could see again.

She looked around to see that she was in the woods. A quick glance down confirmed that she was wearing the deep crimson, hooded robe she was expecting and holding a picnic basket. Her hand absentmindedly went for her throat where she expected to find nothing, but was glad to find the small gemstone that Severus had gotten for her.

"Well," She said, glad to be able to speak again, "Time to get almost digested. Brilliant."

And she skipped down the dirt path to her grandmother's house.


	6. The Snack That Smiles Back, Grandma

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Six - The Snack That Smiles Back, Grandma

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Inspired by Little Red Riding Hood prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 6 - The Snack That Smiles Back, Grandma  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: Euphamisms.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^  
AUTHOR'S NOTE, EVERYONE READ: Okay, so it's getting close to holidays, so I'm not going to say this will be updated weekly, but I am trying. To those who are wondering, the tales are almost over and Hermione and Severus will soon be back in Hogwarts where they will have to deal with the feelings that they are obviously developing for each other. Also, if you look on my author page you will see I indeed have a Twitter and Facebook where I always post updates and will always answer questions and the like there. I also have a smallish webpage where I post reviews that I've gotten and such, so if you're looking for updates or answers of any kind from me, that would be where to look. Lastly, for those of you that are wondering, Beauty and the Beast will not be a part of this collection, specifically because I've already had a story centered around the Disney movie as a one shot with these two, so it'll be more of an actually adaptation instead of them being stuck in the fairy tale. Anywhoozle, thank you all for the wonderful reviews, keep them coming, they keep me happy. So, look for the next chapter either Christmas or New Year's weekend. Thanks again all! - Mallow

She looked around to see that she was in the woods. A quick glance down confirmed that she was wearing the deep crimson, hooded robe she was expecting and holding a picnic basket. Her hand absently went for her throat where she expected to find nothing, but was glad to find the small gemstone that Severus had gotten for her.

"Well," She said, glad to be able to speak again, "Time to get partly digested. Brilliant."

And she skipped down the dirt path to her grandmother's house.

She was excited to be able to walk without it feeling like she was walking on hot coals and having her voice back so she sang as she went.

The problem with this fairy tale was she wasn't sure if Professor Snape would turn up being the wolf or the lumberjack and she wasn't really sure which one she'd rather him be either. On one hand he'd have to eat her whole, then get his stomach cut open and then filled with rocks which would be kind of fun for her to watch but she wasn't sure she wanted him to eat her. Well, not in that way at least. On the other hand he'd have to cut her out of an angry wolves belly and see her looking disgusting and very much like a drowned rat spat out of a rancid sewer pot.

She found out soon enough that it was indeed the latter and she would have to deal with him seeing her covered in guts. She came to a fork in the road and took the one she knew to be the more dangerous of the two. She ran into the wolf and called him 'Professor Snape' twice before she believed that it wasn't him.

"I don't know who this professor is you speak of, but where are you going little girl?"

Hermione found herself snickering under her breath at the thought of what connotations it would hold if it would've been the professor saying that to her. She quickly shrugged off the though and smiled shyly at the wolf.

"To my Grandmother's house. She is ill and I am taking her a picnic basket full of bread, wine and candies."

"Delicious." The wolf replied licking his jowls, "Does she live far off?"

"Not too far," Hermione replied, "just beyond the path in the woods there."

"That's not far at all." The wolf agreed silkily, he bared his teeth at, causing her to gasp, "Wouldn't it be grand, Little Red, to take your sick grandmother some of those pink flowers over there by that tree."

The wolf pointed to a patch of azaleas near a tree.

Hermione smiled, "You're right, that would be a nice idea, mister wolf. I think I'll do that."

She nodded and walked over to the tree, leaning down to pick a few of the flowers. As she did she saw the wolf slink of out of the corner of her eye.

Across the forest, where she couldn't see him, Severus stood with a full beard looking every bit a lumberjack with his flannel shirt and suspenders. He watched her from behind a tree as the wolf spoke to her, a smile playing at his lips. Everything he had ever felt for her before had done a complete three-sixty.

The teeth that he had made fun of so adamantly years before now were a great source of happiness for him. They were the first things he saw when she smiled at him and that made grin from ear to ear. It had been years since he'd had eyes or hair enchant him so. She was beautiful, smart and charming. The problem was that even if she did feel the same way about him, and he was pretty sure she did from that kiss, nothing could ever come of it. She was his student and that was a line that he would never cross. At least not when they got back to Hogwarts.

After watching Hermione pick the flowers, he walked off to wait until he was needed.

Hermione stood and turned toward the dirt path that would lead her to the cabin in the woods.

As she walked, she thought about everything that had happened and how, at the end of this story they would be halfway through their journey. They would be halfway through this amazing closeness they had and back to the cold separation society, and Severus, would inevitably impose on them.

Finally she made it to the door of her grandmother's cabin and found the door open. Knowingly, she walked forward, taking a deep breath before walking into the house.

The house was dark, spooky, and silent as she made her way to the bed in the corner.

"Grandma?" Hermione's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Over here, dear." The wolf called in the voice of her storybook grandmother from the bed.

She took another few steps towards the bed and saw the wolf's head laying on the pillow with a nightcap on. The blankets were drawn all the way up to his chin.

"Oh! grandmother," Hermione said, fighting to keep the sarcasm from her voice, "what big ears you have!"

"All the better to hear you with, my child," came the wolf's replay with a muffled snarl.

"Grandmother, what big eyes you have!" Hermione said to the lying wolf, pointing at her eyes.

"All the better to see you with, my dear." The wolf said, his eyes wide.

"'But, grandmother, what large hands you have!" Hermione wiggled her fingers in front of her.

"All the better to hug you with."

"Oh! grandmother, dear, what a terrible big mouth you have!" Hermione gasped at the end of her sentence.

"All the better to eat you with!" Scarcely had the wolf said this, than with one bound he was out of bed and swallowed up Little Red Riding Hermione.

When the big, bad wolf had became full he lie back in bed with his huge belly and fell asleep.

Minutes later Severus pushed his way into the house, the axe swung over his shoulder as he stood over the sleeping wolf. He stared down at the bulging stomache as the wolf lay snoring.

Going to the kitchen and grabbing the shears off of the counter, he knelt at the bedside and slowly cut the wolf's stomach open. He was relieved to find Hermione huddled inside with an old woman, guts and blood covered them.

"Seve-Huntsman!" Hermione almost slipped up, "You saved us!"

Snape helped Hermione out of the wolf, but before he could help the grandmother out of the stomach, the smoke began to swirl around them and before they knew it, it was gone.

Hermione stood alone in a dark room in hand-me-down clothes and a thread-bare mattress in the corner. It was so cold in the room she began to shiver.

The next thing she knew, she heard the movement of a doorknob somewhere behind her. Turning, she knew it was coming from up a set of stairs. A door opened and she could see a large female figure standing in the light.

She swallowed hard as an aged, angry voice called out to her, "Cinderella!"


	7. Chapter 7: Fits Just Right

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Seven - Fits Just Right

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Inspired by Cinderella prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 7 - Fits Just Right  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: None so much.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^  
AN2: Merry Christmas all! Here's another chapter! I just keep warning you guys, I'm trying to get these out weekly, but if some point I don't, I'm sorry. This is the last chapter I have beta'd right now. The next chapter is waiting to be beta'd and the next is almost done being written. That's what I'm looking at right now. ^_^ Enjoy! Also, thank you much to all my reviewers. I love them!

* * *

Hermione stood alone in a dark room in hand-me-down, soot ridden clothes with a simple thread-bare matress in the corner. It was so cold in the room she began to shiver.

The next thing she knew, she heard movement behind the heavy wooden door and a doorknob twisted in protest somewhere behind her. Turning, she knew it was coming from up a set of stairs. When the door opened all she could see was a large female figure standing in the light.

She swallowed hard as an aged, bitter, angry voice called out to her, "Cinderella!"

She walked toward the stairs with a small, meek "Y-yes?"

"Cinderella! The ball is tomorrow night, as you know, I'll need you to get your sister's best dresses out of storage and help them try them on right now. Tomorrow, I will need you to help me with my own. "

"Yes, stepmother." Hermione said, her voice still small, "Right away." She had always been somewhat afraid of the stepmother, even just reading the story.

She heard a scoff as the door closed and she was left in darkness again.

With a sigh, Hermione went over to a lantern that she had found on a dresser and lit it. The room lit up, revealing that there was a storage closet in the corner of the room. As she pulled on the handle, the door creaked open and she stepped inside. Boxes were labeled with Anya, Nadya, and Lord & Lady Breckenridge. A small box in the corner held the word Cinderella.

With an annoyed sound, she grabbed the boxes which she found held her stepsister's dresses. She grabbed them and walked off to find the two of them.

It didn't take long as she heard to young, screechy voices coming from down the halls, bickering about some nonsense or other.

"Where is that nasty little girl? Doesn't she know we need to pick our dresses out? I need to match my jewelry to what I'll be wearing!" One voice said.

"Oh, Nadya. It doesn't matter, does it? The prince isn't even going to notice you once he sees my divine face. You could very well walk in there in a potato sack."

"Oh please, Anya. When he gets a look at the big honker of yours he'll think he's found the legendary dodo. Then, I'll have nothing to worry about."

This conversation was follwed by two screeching giggles that made Hermione almost drop the boxes in an attempt to save her ear drums.

After the laughter died down, she went to the entrance to the room they were in, that turned out to be their humongous bedroom, and coughed to get their attention. She put the boxes down on the floor.

"Finally," The voice she recognized as Nadya's said, "You better be glad you got here when you did, I was about to call Mother." She turned to see the source of the voice, a tall, skinny, freckle-faced red-head with a small pig nose lay across a couch, staring at her. Her eyebrows raised in defiant haugtyness.

"Don't be mean, Nadya." Anya's sweeter voice came, "At least we get to see the prince. You must be awfully jealous of the two of us. Right, Cinderella?"

Hermione looked over at the second girl in the room. Nadya was taller than her sister, but defintely more chubby. She was on the pretty side, but her nose was huge and her eyebrows looked like two, huge caterpillars sitting above her eyes. She was rubbing lotion her arms and looking at Hermione expectantly.

"Well?" She said after a few seconds had passed without an answer.

"Yes, Nadya." Hermione said, her voice quiet and dutiful.

"I didn't hear you." Nadya said, her caterpillar-brows lowering in anger.

"I said yes, Nadya. I'm awfully jealous."

"Good."

"That's as it should be." Anya finally added, "Now help us with our clothes."

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes as she went to help each of them out of their clothes and into each dress that she had brought. This went on for hours and hours. Helping them into the same dresses over and over again, they'd stop to argue over who necklaces or earrings belonged to, their mother would come in spouting some kind of nonsense or another, it was just horrible. Finally, they were done and she was excused and able to go to her bedroom to sleep.

She was reminded to not sleep in as she was supposed to clean the entire house while they were at the ball. Lady Breckenridge managed to throw the word insolent in there at least five times before she'd gotten to her room to close the door.

She laid down on the bed, thinking she was too angry to actually fall asleep, but it was only seconds before she did and the next thing she knew she was getting screamed at to wake up and help them to get ready for the ball. They had a long day ahead of them, going to the brunch at the cafe and then going to the salon before they even thought about actually arriving at the castle so, naturally they needed dressed already.

Hermione couldn't stand the three of them and she dressed them all as quickly as she could just to get them out of the house. Immediately after they had left, she started the chores. She was still going to be here for a few days after the ball had ended and she wanted the least attention put on her as she could get. She scrubbed each of the cold, brick floors one by one before washing the dirty clothes and hanging them up to dry. She tidied up the pantry, made all the beds, cleaned out all the nooks and crannys, wiped up the cobwebs, dusted, cleaned the fireplace, swept the floors, and a million other things that was just buzy work for her mind before the ball started.

A little while after she had done, she set on the floor by the fireplace and cried, "Oh, I do wish I could go to the ball!"

The very next minute, there was a bright light and standing before her was a lovely, old lady with a wand in her hand.

"Cinderella," She said, "I am your fairy godmother and I shall get you to that ball. But first you must get some things for me. I will need a pumpkin from your garden. I will also need six mice, a rat and some lizards. Can you bring me these things?"

Hermione nodded and went to fetch the things for the woman and brought them before her to lay on the ground in front of her.

The fairy godmother walked forward and touched them with her wand. The pumpking became a coach, the mice became horses, the rat became a coachman, and the lizards became footmen. They were very silly looking while they stood there waiting. Hermione giggled at them as the fairy godmother touched her with the wand next and the old, ratty, brown dress she was wearing became a stunning ball gown that matched the exact color of her necklace. Her feet held the most beautiful pair of glass slippers she had ever laid eyes on.

"Cinderella, you look beautiful, but you must listen." The fairy godmother announced gently, "You must leave the ball before the clock strikes midnight. At midnight, the magic ends and there's nothing more I can do for you."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" Hermione was excited to be going to see Severus.

"You're welcome. Now be on your way." The fairy helped her into the coach and winked at her, disappearing instantly.

The ride to the ball was over quickly and Hermione could feel her heart racing as she got out of the coach and was escorted by her footmen to the castle entrance.

As she walked inside, she could feel everyone's eyes on her as they wondered who the dashing young girl in the beautiful dress was. Even her step-mother and the ugly step-sisters couldn't keep their eyes off of her, silently stewing because they knew that the beautiful girl would definitely take the attention away from them.

Severus had been fawning enthusiasm as he was talking to some of the ladies that had been swooning at him all night, but as soon as she walked in there was no mistaking that he no longer could hear anything that they had said.

As he stared at her from across the room the air around her seem to quiver and blur. He could hear nothing but white noise. He swallowed a lump in his throat.

'How ridiculous.' He thought to himself, 'Me and her are the only ones in the world right now? Something this clich actually happens?'

But he knew he was kidding himself as her eyes met his through the din. This was real. There would be no make-believe tonight.

Ignoring everything, they rushed to each other and met in the middle of the ball room. As if it was magic, the music started to play and they began to dance. No words. Nothing. Just the music and them.

"Miss Granger, you look beautiful tonight." Severus said.

Hermione blushed slightly, "Severus, do drop the 'Miss Granger' thing. I'd rather you call me Cinderella then that, really."

"Hermione, is that better? Hermione, you look lovely in that dress. That shade of green on your skin is quite nearly perfect."

Hermione's whole face turned red as he spoke. "Thank you." She said, her voice barely a whisper.

"You're welcome." He chuckled.

She smiled up at him and they continued to dance. He wouldn't dance with anyone else, of course. She was all he seen.

"Hermione." Severus said after a few hours of casual conversation.

"Yes?" Her head was on his chest, her face away from him to try to hide the wide grin that wouldn't leave her face.

"I just wanted to..."

"What is it?" She faced him then, her brows creased.

"Well, I just wanted to say that, well, I beleive we were intrupted a few stories back and..."

"And?"

"Well, I would be remiss if I didn't say that I'd like to..."

"Do you want to kiss me, Professor Snape?" She raised a brow in question.

Severus blushed, which was an akward sight indeed, before gaining his composure and replying silkily with "Professor Snape? Really? I do believe if I've dropped the niceity of 'Miss Granger', you could do me the honor of calling me Severus."

"Alright then." Hermione replied just as smoothly, "Severus... do you want me to kiss you?"

"I was, in point of fact, refering to me kissing you."

"Were you?" Hermione inclined her head as his lips came slowly towards hers.

"Definitely." Snape whispered, his sweet breath hitting her face, just before their lips met and she melted against his form.

Gasps could be heard around them as onlookers wondered what spell this small girl had put over their handsome prince.

'If they only knew.' Snape thought, 'If they only knew.'

His tongue darted between her lips and she sighed. It was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. The Slytherin headmaster, thought to be hard, angry, and cunning was falling head-over-heels for the Gryffindor's smartest witch. Hell, Hogwart's smartest witch. This made him, he thought, none of these things. (Well, maybe that first one.)

As suddenly as it had started, it had to end as the next sound they heard was the clock striking midnight behind them.

One. Two. Three.

"You've got to go don't you?" Severus said, his voice somehow deeper.

Hermione could hardly stand but managed to gain a bit of footing before nodding and turning to run off.

Four. Five. Six.

As she ran down the palace steps one of her glass slippers fell off, just as planned.

Seven. Eight. Nine.

She ran on toward the golden coach.

Ten Eleven Twelve.

Then there was Hermione in her old, brown, ratty dress. The golden pumpkin lay at her feet and scampering down off down the road were six grey mice, a whiskered rat and four green lizards. So she had to walk home and by the time the ugly sisters returned home she was sitting quietly by the fire.

Back at the palace, Severus picked up the glass slipper and held it in his hand, staring off after where his stolen heart had fled.

"What is it, sire?" His butler said, standing beside him.

"I shall marry the beautiful girl whose foot fits this slipper and only her." He replied as he was instructed, but it came easily to his lips.

In the morning, as soon as the sun broke over the horizon, a full team was called to help the prince find the love of his life. What made it harder for him is he didn't know where Hermione was staying, but he did know exactly whoose slipper it was so as soon as he walked into the houses, the disappointment flooded his face.

At last he found the house where Hermione sat by the fireplace covered in ash and soot and he gave a small smile. He knew he'd have to let the two step-sisters try the shoe first so with the annoyance etched on his face he tried it on one first and then the other. They both tried hard, but neither of their huge feet fit the shoe.

"Can I try?" Hermione's small voice came from the corner.

"You didn't go to the ball." Nadya screeched.

"The shoe will never fit you, Cinderella." Anya said.

"I said ALL women must try on the shoe." Severus stood and spoke loudly, the two brats shut their trap quickly under his gaze. 'I still got it.' He thought with a smirk as Hermione took her place in the chair in front of him.

Her grabbed her small, bare foot in his hand and heard her breath stick in her throat. With a smile up at her he whispered, "You know after this we won't see each other for a while."

She nodded at him, her eyes boaring into his.

"I'll miss you." His voice was so low by that time she wasn't sure she even heard it right, but before she could ask he'd shoved the slipper on her foot and the scene faded before her as the smoke clouded her vision.

When she could see again she was standing on a desk, looking out at the moon and walnut shell stood beside her with a small pillow and blanket tucked away inside.

Oh, she couldn't go to sleep now, not after he had said that to her. Had he really said what she thought he said? Maybe her hearing was off. Oh, but she'd find out as soon as they met again. He'd tell her or else.

For now, the only way to get this fairy tale moving was going to sleep in her tiny walnut shell and waiting for her adventure to begin.


	8. Chapter 8: That One Tiny Bitch

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Eight - That One Tiny Bitch

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Inspired by Thumbelina prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 8 - That One Tiny Bitch  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: None so much.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^

When she could see again she was standing on a desk, looking out at the moon and walnut shell stood beside her with a small pillow and blanket tucked away inside.

Oh, she couldn't go to sleep now, not after he had said that to her. Had he really said what she thought he said? Maybe her hearing was off. She'd find out as soon as they met again. He'd tell her or else she'd sent a colorful hex or two his way.

For now, the only way to get this fairy tale moving was going to sleep in her tiny walnut shell and wait for her adventure to begin.

Hermione's sleep was erratic. She kept having weird dreams of a faraway place with flowers and fairies. Of Severus. Of the days that had past since they arrived so long ago in the small cabin in the woods, pretending to be the children of strangers.

She woke the next day in her walnut-bed on a lily-pad in the river. A large ugly toad sat on the lily-pad next to her, staring dreamily into her eyes. Beside him, a smaller toad was smiling at her.

Seeing that she was awake, the smaller toad bowed to her and spoke, "This is my son, Ignacio, he will be your husband. You will live happily with him, in the marsh by the stream.

Beside her, Ignacio could only say, "Croak, croak, croak."

Then, he stood and grabbed her walnut-bed before swimming away with it. His mother dove in the water and followed him, leaving Hermione all alone without a chance to object.

With nothing else to do she sighed and set down on the middle of the lily-pad. Minutes later, as she was humming to herself, two small fish lifted their heads above the water and looked in her direction.

"We've been listening here under the water." One fish said to her.

"And we don't think someone as beautiful as you should have to marry that ugly toad." The other fish said.

"Oh," Hermione said with a short giggle a small blush creeping to her cheeks, "You're too kind. Really."

"Oh no, not too kind." The first fish spoke again, "Not at all."

The second one nodded, "Not at all. We're going to set you free."

Before she had a chance to thank them, they dove under the water and began to gnaw at the stalk holding the lily-pad in place. Minutes later the lily-pad broke free and began to float down the river.

She floated for a long while past creatures and trees. She admired the sun's reflection on the river as she sailed. A small white butterfly glided past her and flitted around. It was as if it was admiring her. She waved the butterfly over and took the ribbon of the waist of her dress, tying it to the butterfly. She tied the other end to the leaf, causing the lily-pad to float on faster than ever.

She stood at the middle of the leaf, letting the air cool her cheeks and smiling. It was so awkward being so small in such a large world, but it was also wonderful. She closed her eyes and raised both of her arms out beside her like a bird. She felt like she was flying. Her hair was flowing behind her.

Suddenly, she was zipped off in the opposite direction before she had a chance to even blink. Small claws were grasping her around the waist and she struggled in them to get a look at her captor. A large grasshopper had grabbed her up and flew off with her into the woods ahead. Trees and leaves were flying past her face, hitting her arms and legs as they went.

Eventually, they came to rest inside a tree trunk where the grasshopper sat her down and on a large leaf and rested beside her on a leaf of his own.

Going to a corner, he quickly brought her some honey he had stored in his hole. He handed it to her and set back on his leaf.

"You're so beautiful." He said simply, his creepy huge eyes just staring at her.

"Th-thank you?" Hermione said, crooking her head inquisitively at him, unsure if his creepy words were a compliment or not. He made her skin crawl.

"You're welcome." He never blinked. He just kept staring at her.

She took a small bite of the honey he had given her and looked away. She thought for a short second that she would rather be back with the frogs then here in the tree with the grasshopper.

"I'm going to show you off to my friends." The grasshopper said simply, a big grin spreading across his dark sinister bug face, "They'll simply love you. You're not a bug, but so very pretty, my dear."

Hermione simply smiled at him and nodded, not knowing what to say.

"They'll be here soon. Yes." He whispered to himself.

She was beginning to realize that maybe this bug wasn't completely mentally stable. She wasn't even sure if he actually had friends coming. She decided to silently sit on the leaf and nibble at the honey until he fell asleep and then she'd see if there was a way down out of the tree.

It was hours later, after she was almost huddled up in the corner from fear of the bug that she heard the noise of other insects coming nearer. The way her grasshopper companion had been mumbling to himself, she was sure any friends that he did have were imaginary. She was actually thankful that she might not have to be alone with him for a while.

The noises grew closer and soon after the hole in the tree were filled with four other large grasshoppers.

The smallest brown grasshopper stepped toward her captor and spoke, "Jack, what's this we hear about you finding a mate?"

Jack, that was fitting, Hermione thought to herself.

"Yes, yes, Filmore, she's right over here in the corner." Jack told the grasshopper that had spoke, gesturing in her direction.

All the grasshoppers peered at her through the darkness and squinted their eyes.

The golden yellow one that seemed to be a lady grasshopper cleared her throat, "Where's her other legs?"

"What other legs?" Jack said, "She only has the two."

"Only two legs?" The largest grasshopper cried, "That's preposterous! She looks like a human."

The last of the grasshoppers joined in, "Yes, her waist goes in at the middle. She's all curvy. Oh, she is an ugly one."

The lady chimed in again, "Quite! I mean, honestly, what are those things protruding from her abdomen? You have really done it this time, Jack."

Laughter filled the hollow in the tree and Hermione couldn't help but frown. The only other time she'd been the center of this much laughter is the time that Professor Snape had made fun of her teeth.

The other grasshoppers flew away, laughing the entire time, their voices disappearing into the night. Hermione wanted to cry, she felt very alone in this huge world, herself not being any taller than a daisy.

Jack stood in front of her, frowning for the first time since she'd seen him. His face looking completely different now. He took her in his arms and flew down out of the tree to set her on a daisy. He said nothing, simply turned and flew back up to his tree, leaving her alone in the forest.

It was summer then and she knew for a while she would have to live in this place and survive just like Thumbelina did for all those months before she got to be with her prince. She set forth into the woods to braid a bed out of blades of grass to hang under a leaf. She gathered food under the leaf as well; honey from the flowers and any nuts she could gather from the ground. Every day she would wake up and drink the dew from the leaves. Each day passed uneventfully and just as boring as the last.

The loneliness wore into her and she found herself thinking more and more of Severus and what he could be doing at any moment.

The summer passed on into fall and the fall turned into winter. All the birds and insects had left for the warmth of their homes or warmer shores. The flowers and trees had withered and died, including the large leaf she had made her home under. Her dress that she had come into the woods with was now torn and served as no shield from the cold winds.

Eventually, it began to snow. Each snowflake that landed on her head seemed like a shovel of snow being piled on top of her. Desperately she wandered through the snow, shivering and covering herself with dead leaves. She was trying to find the corn field that she knew had to be close to where she was. Finally, after she thought she could take no more of the freezing, angry cold she found it and the mouse's home that she so longed to find.

Knocking on the door, she was shivering so much that she thought her bones would surely fall apart. At last the door was open and a small field-mouse stood before her.

"Hello." Hermione said, "I'm so very sorry to bother, but it's awfully cold and I haven't had something to eat in so long, can you please spare a morsel?"

"You poor thing," The field-mouse said, "Of course I have food for you! Come into my warm room and dine with me. In fact, you are quite welcome to stay the winter with me if you keep my rooms clean and neat and perhaps tell me some stories."

Hermione nodded and entered the house, it was warm and filled with food for the winter. She knew she could be at home there for the time being. She was good at cleaning and she told the field-mouse the stories of the things that had happened to her. The little mouse squealed with delight at each new story.

One day, the field-mouse took her aside and said "We're going to have a visitor soon. I have a neighbor that comes to see me quite often. He's better off than I am and house a huge house. If you could have him for a husband, you'd be set for life. He's blind of course, so you must tell him your most beautiful stories."

Hermione shuddered at this, but nodded anyway, she could never find a mole attractive and she never understood why the story unfolded in such a way that a little human girl would ever be made to marry a mole, a frog, or an insect of any sort. It was all so odd.

The mole did visit and he did indeed fall in love with her in his own way. He loved her sweet voice and lovely stories. Eventually, he dug a tunnel from his house to the field-mouse's and told them that they could walk it whenever they wanted.

Of course, Hermione went most days to search for the wounded bird she knew would come. One day, it finally did, of course. Every night after, she would go to the bird and cover it with grasses and leaves.

"Thank you." The bird said to her in a whisper after a few night of this, "What's your name?"

"Hermi, err, Thumbelina. My name is Thumbelina. What's your name?"

"James. Pleased to meet you."

Hermione only smiled at him and nodded, going back to her room at the field-mouse's.

The nights that followed that she started to bring him water and small bits of food. He was almost well again, but the cold and snow was still surging outside. She told him that he would have to stay there or get hurt again.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the spring came and she bid farewell to her bird friend, knowing that she must stay there just a little longer before she could leave.

Two nights later, the field-mouse took her aside one more and told her, "The mole has asked to have you as his bride! What good fortune you have! Now we have to prepare for your wedding.

Hermione was tired. She was tired of having to be here in this place. She was tired of being so far away from things she was familiar with. She was tired of animals trying to marry her... and she was most defiantly tired of being without Severus.

Every night, she and the mouse would work on a wedding gown that would never get worn and Hermione waited for the bird that she saved to come back for her. It felt like lifetimes ago and she was beginning to get scared that maybe he would never return for her. What if she had done something wrong along the way and it had caused something to change? The usual steadfast and sure witch was slowly becoming unsure.

So, there came the time that the sun was no longer scorching the earth and the days grew increasingly colder. The wedding date was set and Hermione had all but lost her faith. She would have to marry the mole or run away, but if she ran and the bird returned, she would no longer be there, and that made her stay.

"Farewell, sun." She said one day while watching the sun set, "I might never see you again."

The tears fought to come, but she wouldn't let herself cry. What if today was the day? Then she should be happy when the time came, not crying her eyes out. If her eyes were red-rimmed when he was to see her again he would call he insolent or immature. That thought was all it took for the tears to finally burst through. Not a lot, but a few tears ran down to her chin.

She wiped them forcefully, she wasn't going to cry over this. She was stronger than this and she was most definitely smarter than this. The bird would come.

She turned to go back inside when she heard a noise above her.

"Chirp, chirp!" came the cheery voice of the bird she had saved. She turned with a smile to watch him land not far from where she stood.

"James!" She called out to him with joy and ran up to give him a hug where she could reach.

"Little one! Winter is coming again and I'm off to somewhere warmer this time. I've come to save you like you saved me all those months ago. Fly away with me." James leaned his head down to nuzzle against her.

"Okay." Hermione answered before seating herself on his back and they took to the skies. High over the mountains they flew, past forests and oceans, towns and castles. Far away where the snow couldn't reach. Every place they passed was more beautiful than the last.

Hermione couldn't tell how long they flew she only noticed that they must be close when she looked down and saw a broken down marble palace, surrounded by trees. It was the most beautiful site she'd ever seen. There were vines coiled around every inch of the white marble. It was near here where a large pillar lay, toppled on it's side that James flew down to.

Between the broken pieces of the marble grew the prettiest purple flowers with huge broad leaves. James landed and walking toward them with wings and a crown was Severus. He was dressed in a white tunic and tights. Hermione almost busted out laughing at the awkwardness of seeing him white at all, much less all white.

"Hermione!" Snape called to her.

"Severus!" She answered with joy.

The grabbed each other and hugged each other tightly and didn't say anything for a long while. It was the most beautiful and painful thing that either of them had been involved in. Separately and of their own accords they knew they were falling in love. They also knew that it couldn't be and also that they weren't sure if they even cared about the rules anymore. Also, in the small moments where the stood holding each other, Severus allowed himself to hope and that was the most dangerous thing of all for a man who had seen what he had. Nonetheless, he hoped.

"We have to go." Hermione whispered tip-toeing to reach his ear and placing a kiss at his temple, "I will see you soon."

Severus nodded and planted a light kiss on her lips, "Soon." He said as the smoke billowed from behind him, blinding them both.

When Severus could see again, he was standing in the middle of a dirt path, looking at a worn cabin and he could feel something in his hand.

Opening his palm and looking into it, he found 5 small beans. He smiled and walked forward to the cabin, happy that their journey was nearly over. 


	9. Chapter 9: Magical, Smagical

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Nine - Magical, Smagical

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Inspired by Jack & the Beanstalk prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 9 - Magical, Smagical  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: None so much.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^  
IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: Readers, I'm sorry this chapter took so long getting out I've been working 7 days a week, 12 hour days for some time now and haven't had the time to get chapters out. So, I will get them out when I can. Sorry again. Enjoy!

When Severus could see again, he was standing in the middle of a dirt path, looking at a worn cabin and he could feel something small and pebble like, in his hand.

Opening his palm and looking into it, he found 5 small beans. He smiled and walked forward to the cabin, happy that their journey was nearly over.

"Mother!" He called loudly as he opened the door of the cabin and walked inside. The cabin was small with only three rooms and a short, tubby woman with mousey hair and tired features was already standing beside the table waiting for him to return.

"Jack! There you are! I told you not to dawdle. Have you brought me supper?" She demanded haughtily.

"Not exactly." He admitted warily, looking at the ground.

"Not exactly?" She parroted in a shrill voice, "What do you mean 'not exactly'?

"Well, you see, mother, a man stopped me in the road and asked me to trade him our cow for these magical beans!" He held out his palm to show her what he had brought and smiled encouragingly at her.

"Are you mad!" The woman yelled in outrage," That cow was the we had to sell and now we shall have no food! I don't know what we're going to do with three beans. We can't eat three beans!"

"Magical beans, mother." Severus corrected again.

"Magical, Smagical, Jack." She grabbed the beans from him and tossed them out the open window, "Don't believe everything you hear."

With a sigh, she turned and sat at a chair.

"I'm sorry. I just thought that maybe the beans could help us somehow."

"It's fine." She said, finally her anger all but dissipated for now, "We'll just have to think of something else. For now, just go and finish cutting us some wood. I've got two spoonfuls of day-old gravy and stale bread we can have for tonight."

Severus nodded and went to cut the wood as he was told, when he returned it was dark. He found a small bit of food on the table and his mother asleep in one of the small cots in the next room.

Grudgingly, he set down and nibbled at his portion of food before walking to the other cot and laying down. He tried to force himself to go to sleep, but it just wouldn't happen. All he could think about was the weird feeling deep inside the recesses of his stomach and the girl that made him feel that way.

'I'm not 14!' Severus growled inside his head, "This is ridiculous! She makes me feel like a bloody schoolboy.'

He sighed and rolled over trying to think of something to say to her to stop this from escalating into something neither of them could control. He knew, of course, that it was far too late for that.

Finally, he fell asleep to be awoken a few hours later to a loud scream from the next room. In a flash he was up and in the room with his mother who was staring with wide eyes out the window.

"Jack, look, it's a gigantic stalk." She said, "It must of grew from those beans. Should we cut it down?"

"On the contrary, I'll climb up and see where it leads." He told her, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and wishing for a pot of coffee. He yawned as he walked outside with her.

They stood beside it with their eyes skyward, straining their necks to see where it might end, but to no avail.

"Be careful." The worried woman offered, unsure, her motherly nature finally making an appearance.

Severus nodded and stretched a bit before grabbing onto the large, green stalk and hoisting himself up. He used the huge leaf stems as footing as he climbed and climbed with no end in sight. He made great time in the young, unfamiliar body and within the hour he had made it to the very top.

Looking around him before lifting himself onto the clouds he could see the castle in the distance. That was his destination. He was slightly out of breath and cursed that fact that this would not be his only trip within the coming days. He walked slowly and carefully, unsure of himself. As he neared the castle he could see the huge woman kneeling in front of it, working at her garden.

He walked within hearing distance and spoke, "Excuse me, if you could, I'm just a young boy from far away and I'm starving. I was wondering if you might have any bits of food to spare?"

How humiliating, he thought to himself as he waited for her reply.

"Oh, hello there little boy." She said, cheerily, leaning down to look at him, "I'm afraid my husband doesn't like humans very much. He's half-ogre, you see and very angry. He'll be back soon, but if you promise to eat quickly, I will get you a small bite of our breakfast."

Severus followed the woman inside the castle and she picked him up and set him on their large table before giving him a rather large plate with human sized portions of eggs and toast. He ate quickly and wiped his mouth as he chatted with the giantess about the day he'd had.

Just as he was getting ready to leave he heard large footsteps approaching from the direction of the front door.

The giantess gasped quietly and shooed Severus out the back. "Go, go, go." She called silently, "Before he finds you here."

A large man entered the room just as he was leaving the room. Behind him a loud booming voice called out, "Fee, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman; Be he alive, or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread!"

"Nonsense." The large woman replied, "There is no Englishman here. That must be the Ox-Hide you smell."

Severus turned to watch the rest of the exchange.

Her husband sat down and ate the rest of the food and then turned to her, "Bring me my money bag, wife." He said in a harsh voice. If the man wasn't so mean, Severus could've mistaken him for Hagrid, the way he looked.

The giantess brought him two sacks of coins and he sat at the table an proceeded to count them until he nodded off, filling the castle with the loud rumble of his snores.

When it was safe for him to do so, Severus left his hiding spot to go an fetch one of the giant bags of coins, fleeing as fast as he could from the castle and down to his mother's house.

The woman that was his mother, cried tears of joy and set about the next day to buy them new clothes and add on to their small shack. A week went by before Severus knew it was time to return to the castle in the clouds.

Just like before he climbed the great stalk and went to the giant woman, who at this time didn't recognize him in the different clothes and the hair cut.

"Please ma'am." He called up to her, "Can you spare a little breakfast for a hungry passerby?"

The woman leaned down and regarded him silently before answering in the cheeriest tone she could muster, "Be gone with you, child. Last time I fed a child he made off with my husband's gold. I cannot be sure that you won't do the same."

But, the giant woman had a kind heart and couldn't leave him to starve, so she invited Severus into the kitchen and fed him some more breakfast.

He had barely had a chance to finish when the same loud footsteps entered the house followed by the same loud booming voice, "Fee, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman; Be he alive, or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread!"

Again, Severus ran to his hiding spot and again his wife lied and served him breakfast without even batting an eyelash. After her finished eating he turned to his wife, his greasy lips spitting pieces of food as he talked, "Wife, bring me my fat, brown, hen!"

A large belch rang through the halls as the wife brought him a giant-sized hen and set it in front of him. If Severus didn't know any better, he'd swear the man was going to inhale the bird whole.

The giant looked at the bird and repeated the word lay three times. Each time he said it, the hen laid a huge golden egg.

"That'll do." The giant told the hen before going to bed, leaving the hen set on the table.

'You would think he would learn to put his things away.' Severus thought to himself as he sneaked up and grabbed the hen, dashing for the beanstalk with it. The hen was clucking wildly and he was sure he was going to get caught, but he made it home before the giant had a chance to catch him.

His would-be mother was so excited that she almost laid an egg. She was so happy, she didn't even care to ask where he had gotten all this money recently by going up this beanstalk.

She told him there was no need to go up there again and made him promise that he wouldn't. Severus promised but the very next day he made a dash for the beanstalk. Excitedly, he sneaked around the castle and to the back door. Creeping in, he found his hiding place to wait silently for the giant to fall asleep again.

The giant entered as usual with his loud, floor-shaking footsteps and repeated "Fee, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman; Be he alive, or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread!"

The wife, sure there was no little boys in the room this time told him again that there was no Englishmen to be found. The giant ate in silence, oils and greases spilling down into his beard as he gnawed at bones and breads. Each time Severus had to witness this it got worse and worse. It was too much to watch. Finally, the disgusting display was over and the large, beast called to his wife, as usual.

"Wife," He grumbled loudly, "Bring me my harp!"

Severus heart leapt to his throat and he cursed it silently. This was silly, just the mere sight or mentioning of a name could do this to a grown man. How ridiculous.

The wife brought the giant his harp. The most beautiful, Severus thought, that he had ever seen in his life. A golden Hermione standing, attached to the instrument struck him in an odd way and a tinge of jealousy surged. This uncouth, sloppy man shouldn't own something so beautiful. She was untouchable... she was his.

'No,' He told himself at once, 'She is young. She belongs to no one. I shouldn't be toying with these ideals.'

"Play." The giant demanded and the harp started playing, Hermione's angelic voice singing along with it. It was all Severus could do to wait until the giant lay on his side and nod off to sleep. Hermione went quiet and the harp went silent beside her as Professor Snape crept closer to where she stood.

As Hermione spied her professor she smiled at him and waved him closer.

"Hi." She whispered at him.

"Hello." He whispered back.

She leaned down to catch his lips on hers with a quick whisper, "Let's get this over with."

He picked her up and she sighed as he started running off. After he has a bit of a head start she called as loud as she could, "Master, master!"

The giant woke up with just enough time to see Severus dashing out the door. With a fearful roar, he seized his oak-tree club, and dashed after him. His large strides had him just on the heels of the fleeing potions professor.

Severus had just made it to the ground had laid down the Hermione harp when the giant started down the vine above him. As quick as he could, he dashed for the ax he had left near-by. He lifted the ax and cut the bean-stalk right in two. Down came the giant with a terrible crash, and that, you may be sure, was the end of him.

As Severus turned to Hermione they smiled at each other, but by that time the smoke had already covered their eyes.

'Two left.' Hermione thought to herself as the smoke cleared and she saw that she was in a dark hallway by herself.

Having a slight fear of being alone in dark places, she took a small breath to steady her breathing and listened closely to the sounds around her. Somewhere to her left she could hear small noises. Turning, she went towards them and started feeling around until she found what she was looking for. A doorknob.

She turned the cold metal in her hand until she heard a click and she pushed forward. The door opened with a creak and she saw in front of her an old wooden spindle working of it's own accord. With a sigh, she started walking toward it, not even able to stop if she wanted to.


	10. Chap 10: She Pricked More Than A Finger

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Ten - She Pricked More Than a Finger

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Inspired by Sleeping Beauty prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 10 - She Pricked More Than a Finger  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: Sex! Finally lots of glorious sex! Het, of course. Getting it on while the rest of the kingdom is awaking of years of slumber. They are charged with this crime. Lol.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^  
AN, the second: I'm sorry this took so long, my lovely, lovely readers. You have no idea how sorry. It goes like this. 12 hours of work a day every day... now down to none. My husband and I got rather canned. Long story. Don't worry about it. Either way, kinda depressy at the moment and having writer's block. Also, having a bit of the ole' health issues at the moment. Nothing serious, you see, just keeping me from writing as well. I have one chapter left that's actually completely written and 5 left to be written so that's why I'm hesitating on uploads. So, I'm hoping this will give you a bit of what you wanted while I'm scrapping my life back together in order to bring you fanfiction. I PROMISE this will not become un-finished fic. I'm just having a bad go at life right now. I love you all. Have faith in me, please. Thanks. And as always you can find me on Facebook and Twitter, more so on Twitter... and Tumblr... if you're interested in that just let me know and I'll give you my addy on there. Ta for now! Love, Mallow.

'Two left.' Hermione thought to herself as the smoke cleared and she saw that she was in a dark hallway by herself.

Having a slight fear of being alone in dark places, she took a small breath to steady her breathing and listened closely to the sounds around her. Somewhere to her left she could hear small noises. Turning, she went towards them and started feeling around until she found what she was looking for. A doorknob.

She turned the cold metal in her hand until she heard a click and she pushed forward. The door opened with a creak and she saw in front of her an old wooden spindle working of its own accord. With a sigh, she started walking toward it, not even able to stop if she wanted to.

Slowly she made her way over to the wooden spindle, the air in the room tightening as she started to sweat. Finally, she came close enough to touch it and as it pricked her finger, she fell backwards onto the bed that was near-by and her heavy eyes closed as she began to sleep.

The rest of the kingdom fell asleep too. The king and queen, the gardeners, the butlers, the maids, the dogs and chickens, everyone in the entire kingdom fell victim to the spell.

Around the entire kingdom grew a deadly patch of thorny briar roses, daring anyone to try to get past. Making it impossible to save them.

It quickly became a legend that there was a castle that was surrounded by thorns that no one could pass, but if one were so lucky, a sleeping beauty awaited you. Every day more and more brave knights would come and fail to break through the vines. Peasants, paupers and fishermen too. No one was too poor or paltry to try their luck, but none were able to budge the wall or thorns.

Years passed until finally a prince came from another land because he had heard the tale and also because he was told to by a certain dozing, bushy-haired pseudo-princess. For him it had only been a matter of days, thankfully this book that so often seemed to have a sense of humor has spared them both this one time.

Severus went to the castle and quickly slashed his way through the briar roses and thorns, confident that he could make his way through fast enough. His heart thudded heavy in his chest. The thought that they were almost out of this nightmare followed by the thought of how it had turned into the best thing that had ever happened to him raced through his mind. The next story would only need them to find Merlin and he would be back home in his own achy, Snapey body. He would be back in his cold, careless dungeon. He would be without her.

Going through the silent, eerie corridors he was careful not to step on any of the ageless, slumbering guards that were toppled over throughout the halls. He crept passed maids and butlers as if one wrong move would disturb everything. He rushed deeper through the castle and up into the cold reaches of the towers until he found the door that was described to him so long ago.

Standing in front of the door he wouldn't dare let a muscle move. Frozen where he stood, he took in a long breath and held it in his lungs. His heart was thudding faster now, blood pumping in his ears. He let the breath out as slow as he could and reached for the cold, metal doorknob. Silently, it turned and he pushed the door forward. The hinges creaking echoed loudly off the stone walls as he stepped through the open doorway.

There on the bed was the sleeping body of a girl he had grown to love. A woman. No, his student. Yet, he loved her and she lay before him silent and asleep. Dreaming of the not so far away bedroom that was hers, he assumed.

Each step he took forward seemed like it was an eternity as his heart went wild in his chest. He was feeling so many things he'd never felt before and he wasn't sure if it was the youth the many stories in this book had instilled in him or if he was actually feeling the legendary pangs of true love. All he knew was he wanted to feel her soft, full lips on his. Right. Now.

He reached the bed and leaned over her putting his lips not even an inch from hers. Savoring the moment he lingered there, not allowing the contact at first. Then, he closed the small space. He kissed her with everything in him, abandoning everything he knew that was not in this small room.

Below him he felt her stir and he moved to stand up, but before he could her arms snaked around his neck and pulled him back to her. Her body arched toward him and he could feel her smile against his lips.

"Hermione," He managed to groan between kisses, "I don't think..."

"Don't think." She said simply and pushed her lips harder to his. That is the exact moment he abandoned his senses.

He moved to lay above her, ran his hands over her sides and up lacing his fingers through her hair. She shivered in his arms, opening her mouth to slither her tongue between his lips.

He returned with his own tongue, running it across her bottom lip before removing his mouth and rushing to nibble at her neck. He heard a sharp intake of breath and smiled as he went across her collarbone.

With a deft hand, he unbuttoned the top of her dress and pulled it down off of her shoulders. A lacy, pink and white bra covered her heaving breasts and he could only stare as he watched them rise and fall with her nervous breaths.

He kissed a trail up her stomach as his right hand snaked around her to unhook her bra. Tossing it to the side he took in the site of tan nipples before taking one in his mouth.

A gasp escaped Hermione's throat as his tongue danced around one nipple and then the other. He molded her breasts with his hands before reaching to remove the rest of her dress to toss on the floor.

Under him she wore only the matching pink and white panties and he stopped to take her in.

It was then she caught sight of the bulge straining against his trousers. Staring into his eyes, she reached forward and grasped it lightly. Squeezing in quick succession caused him to buck against her hand and she smiled wickedly.

"Do you like that?" She asked innocently.

"You have no idea." He replied.

She reached for the belt that held his pants in place and tugged it loose before pulling his pants and boxers to his knees.

Severus tossed his the rest of his clothes to the side before she had the chance and he was above her again kissing her everywhere. His hands moving down her side and between her legs, he pushed two fingers inside of her.

She let out a strangled moan as he worked his fingers inside of her. His mouth moved to her nipples again and she felt like she was on fire. He was the only one that could but the fire out. She burned only for him.

His teeth raked against her soft nipple and she gasped in surprise.

"Severus." She moaned with pleasure, begging for more as she bucked against his hand.

"Patience, my dear." He moved up to whisper in her ear, punctuating with a soft nibble on her ear lobe.

"Mm Mm." Hermione protested, pushing him forward and moving out of her place on the bed.

Severus crooked a questioning eyebrow as she pushed him back down where she had just been.

With a coy look up at him she took his long, rigid, shaft into her waiting mouth. As it touched the back of her throat, he bucked against her and bit down on his bottom lip. She pulled back slowly, the skin pulling tight against his cock. His mouth fell open, allowing a moan to escape. Again she took him into her mouth, slower this time, feeling the fullness of it with her tongue.

Pulling her head back again, she let it free from her mouth and watched it bob slowly in front of her. She wrapped her hand around the shaft and stoked it slowly as she moved to run her tongue along his balls. He struggled with a gasp at the sensation that moved through him. His cock pulsed with heat as she moved her small hand with ease.

Hermione moved to nibble softly at the head before sitting up and straightening to move herself over top of him. With one swift movement she sheathed him inside of her with a soft whimper. He arched against her, rising and falling in tandem with her.

Slipping a hand between them, he found her clit and stroked it causing her inner muscles to clinch at him with each movement.

They were both gasping for air and clinging to this moment, never wanting it to end, but at the same time needing the release that would come when it did. Her breasts bouncing above him were enough to drive him mad with pleasure.

Able to stand it no longer, he grabbed her hips with both hands and thrust harshly into her. A second time, more brutal than the first. Alternating. Soft. Hard. Slow. Fast. Again. Bucking against her. A final hard thrust pushing her over the edge, her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she screamed. Sweat pouring down her face and her insides clinching wildly against him.

Severus let out a wild, primeval groan as he plunged into her one last time, spilling himself inside of her as a haze overtook him.

Hermione clasped against his chest with quick, ragged breathes.

Kissing the top of her sweat-soaked hair he sighed and said, "Do you think we fucked that up?"

"The story?" She replied just as the smoke started to cloud her vision, "Obviously not, but I hope we get some clothes. I don't want to meet Merlin stark naked!"

As the smoke cleared, Hermione realized she was indeed clothed and somehow standing up beside a clothed Severus. They were on the edge of a forest, near a castle and oddly enough, this time they were just themselves.

"I wasn't talking about the story, actually." Severus said just under his breath.


	11. Chap 11: It's the Simple Complications

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Eleven - It's the Simple Complications

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Inspired by The Sword in the Stone prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 11 - It's the Simple Complications  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: None so much.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^  
AN2: Okay guys, I think my writer's block has cleared slightly and although I'm feeling like poo at the moment, I'm going to stick this chapter on up here. I've been pampering myself ewith LUSH products, you should try it sometime too. I swear by them. Now, I just need to get a job so I can get more! LOL! Now, do not under any circumstances start a riot. There are 7 more chapters after this one, albeit short chapters. A few REALLY short chapters, so we're almost done with this story. The other chapters, I have most of them written so I should have them up every weekend OR every other weekend depending on life stuff. So, we'll see. Just don't give up on me guys, you've been amazing and I'm loving the reviews! ^_^

As the smoke cleared, Hermione realized she was indeed clothed and somehow standing up beside an equally clothed Severus. They were on the edge of a forest, near a castle and oddly enough, this time they were just themselves.

"I wasn't talking about the story, actually." Severus said just under his breath.

"What was that?" Hermione asked, matter-of-factly, raised brows in question.

"Nothing."

"Well, don't start being all stoic now. We're almost out of here." She said cheerily, trying to mask the rejoicing that was buzzing so loudly in her head, "Aren't you excited?"

"Ecstatic." The potions master said sarcastically with a frown.

Hermione looked at him with a scowl, "What's the matter, Severus? Was it that horrible?"

He waved his arms in front of him quickly, "No, that's not it! I just thought... never mind. Let's just go."

"No, what did you 'just thought'?" She put her hands sternly on her hips and glared at him.

"I just thought maybe you had regrets. You acted like it didn't happen."

"What? No? I just want to get out of here... so we can do it again." She smiled and turned towards the castle, "So let's go!" She pointed forward proudly with her teeth gleaming.

Severus just laughed nervously before coming to stand beside her and nodding.

Together they went forward and walked into the bustling gate that led to the market and shops inside.

"Fresh fish!" The calls of the salesmen started, "Fresh fish! We catch them daily from our pole to your plate!"

"We got dresses of the best silks and cloaks of the softest linens! The best boots, the finest frocks, the greatest gowns, the tip-top-iest tunics!" Another store promised.

"Breads! Get your bread here! Meat pies! One feast costs the least. Today only, buy one pie get the second one free!"

"Ancient scrolls! Sheathes and swords! Machetes and Morning Stars! Gauntlets and Glaives! Flails and Falchions! Spears and Sabres!"

Hermione and Severus walked passed all of them without so much as a glance straight to the town square. A tall, skinny boy stood in the middle of the square reading poetry out loud from a notepad. There were a few people gathered around, Hermione walked up to tap an older woman on the shoulder.

"Excuse me." She said, causing the woman to turn to face her.

"Yes? Can I help you?" She said, cheerily.

"I was just wondering, can you tell me where I might be able to find Merlin?"

Oh yes, dear. If you follow that road just there straight to the end and then make a left where it dead ends. After that you keep going until you reach the old, dead tree, make a right there and at the very end of that street there will be a small cottage. That is the house where Merlin lives."

"Thank you."

"Oh you're very welcome! Merlin's home right now, if you hurry. Also, write him a letter, it will all be okay." The woman smiled and turned back around.

"Who, Merlin?" Hermione asked with confusion.

"No, the man you're with. Just write him a letter."

Hermione turned to where Severus was standing, looking at something that had caught his eye. "Who, him?" She said turning back around to find that the woman had disappeared.

Feeling awkward, she walked back over to where he stood, "I've got the information we need, come on."

He turned toward her, an odd look on his face and nodded. "Are you okay?" She asked him.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" He told her.

"No reason." She scrunched her eyebrow at him and pointed ahead, "This way."

They walked down the street that the woman had told her to take. "Why do you suppose we aren't characters in this story?" She asked him after the silence became too much to bear.

"Huh?" He said, obviously being interrupted from deep thought. Hermione's eyebrows lowered with suspicion, "I asked you why you supposed we aren't characters in the story?"

"Oh, I don't know. I'm sure there's an explanation for it, though. We'll try to figure it out once we're home."

"That isn't all we'll be doing, I hope." She smiled at him. Again he laughed and nodded, continuing walking down the road. With an exasperated sigh, Hermione did the same.

At the dead end they turned and again at the dead tree. They didn't say much to each other, the only noise were the sounds of their shoes on the pavement as they went.

Finally they reached the door of the small cottage. Hermione took a deep breath before knocking on the wooden door.

"Hello? Yes. Yes. I'm coming. I'll be there." An aged, ragged voice came from the other side, "Hello, yes? Who's there?"

The door came open and an old man with a pointy, blue hat popped his head out.

"Yes? Who is it?" He repeated again. His eyes twinkled at them and instantly they were reminded of the Headmaster.

"Excuse me, sir. May we come in?" Hermione said softly.

"I suppose not, you see, I haven't cleaned in many days and it just is horribly messy in here." He replied, "If that's all you wanted I must say good day to you, young lady. Good day."

He almost pulled the door closed before Severus had time to stop it.

"Sir," Severus started, "I suppose you might have time to talk to us about magic. We know magic, you see, and could use your help."

"Ahh, why didn't you say so before? Come in! Come in!" He opened the door wider and they both walked in.

The room was like a bigger version of Severus' lab and a tinge of sadness came over the potions master. He did miss his rooms.

"Sit down. Sit down." The old wizard told them, waving his hand and conjuring up three chairs nearby. They all set down as tea appeared in their hands.

"Thank you." Hermione said with a smile.

The wizard nodded with delight, "Now tell me. What is it I can help you with?"

"I'm afraid the story is a bit unbelievable, as it were." Severus told him.

"Try me," came the reply with a cheerful laugh, "I'm a fictional version of a great wizard living in a enchanted book, there's not much that can surprise me."

"You know?" Hermione interjected.

"Of course I know!" Merlin exclaimed, "I'm Merlin, for crying out loud!"

Hermione laughed before starting the tale of their journey finishing at the point where they reached his door.

After she was finished, the wizard looked at them both for some time before nodding, "I see. This is quite a predicament you're in. Thankfully, I've got just the thing."

"That's it?" Hermione asked, incredulously.

"You mean there's no quests or damsels or fights to the death?" Severus said.

"Nope." He answered, "Just a wave of my hand and you guys will be back at Huggles or Warthogs or whatever you called that place."

"Just like that, huh?" Hermione said.

"Just like that." He told her with a smile, "Are you ready."

"Yes!" Hermione said.

"I guess." Severus told him, his voice lower than usual.

"Well, it was nice talking to new magical folk. I'm glad you came by. Maybe I'll see you both again some day." He waved his hand and the all to familiar smoke clouded their vision for the last time.

When the smoke cleared they were standing in the potion's classroom with their hands both on the book, staring at one another. Looking at the clock, Hermione noticed that only 10 minutes had passed since they disappeared into the fairy tale world.

"It hasn't even been a day." She told him.

"Imagine that." Snape said, turning decidedly Snapey suddenly, "Well, Miss Granger. I think I'd better confiscate this book to study what this sludge has done to it, if you please."

"Severus."

"Miss Granger, you will address me as Professor Snape while we are in this school, if you please. Now, I will see you tomorrow in potions class, I have some things to care of." 


	12. Chap 12: Dazed and You Know the Rest

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Twelve - Dazed and... You Know the Rest

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Themed: Emotions - Confused prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 12 - Dazed and... You Know the Rest  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: None so much.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^  
AN2: In celebration of me completely finishing this fanfiction today. COMPLETELY... I'm going to post another chapter this week. I will post probably the next three chapters over after the weekend, all through next week... since they are really short. Then I'll post the last two chapters the 2 weekends after that. Or something. You'll see. Deal with it, yo. Lol. Off to rewatch Tangled and The Runaways. They are my two current favorite movies if anyone cares! Ta!

MISS Granger, you will address me as Professor Snape while we are on school grounds. Now, I will see you tomorrow in potions class, I have some things to care of.  
Hermione's mouth quickly fell open; the sudden change in demeanor shocked her into silence.  
"The door is behind you, Miss Granger." Severus said harshly.  
Hermione was looking at her feet now, "Professor Snape," She said quietly, "I'm sorry. I'll see you in class tomorrow."  
Not only was Hermione completely devastated, but she was confused too. Had she said something that made him angry?  
She slowly replayed the events of everything in her head, trying to figure out where it had gone wrong.  
She turned to leave the classroom, leaving Snape with the book in his hand to study the potion that had leaked onto it. Absentmindedly, her hand went to her throat and she realized she still had the necklace he had bought her. Tears threatened to come, but she managed to choke them down.  
Nothing had gone wrong. She knew he had feelings for her. She could tell. Maybe he didn't like how strong she'd come on.  
Thoughts whizzed through her head quicker and quicker. Was it bad? It wasn't her first time. She wasn't bad. How dare he! Was he just using her? Was it a spell? Was it the potion that had spilled on the book? What was it that made him change so suddenly?  
She made her way to her dorm with the tears fighting to spill from her eyes, but she wouldn't let them win. All she knew was these next few days would feel like she was dying. Her heart and stomach both ached with longing as she got to the portrait of the fat lady, trying to forget the fairytale she and Severus had woven for themselves within the book, a fairytale that did not have its happy ending.

* * *

'Way to let her down easy, Severus' the professor was telling himself as he tried to concentrate on the potion on the book, 'I obviously didn't know how to handle that.'  
He laid his head in his palm and sighed.  
"Oh, Merlin, what have I done?" He spoke out loud, "I want to blame this on the potion, but it wasn't. It was me. It was her. It was the way she made me feel. How could I have been so weak? She's just a child."  
The potion, as he found out, had somehow been a transporting potion with some time travelling qualities. Nothing even remotely hinting at a love or lust potion. At least if he had something magical to blame it on he wouldn't have felt as bad.  
Why had he slept with a student? Why would he put his job... or his heart... on the line like that? Had she really wanted it? He was the adult. He was supposed to protect the students, not sleep them. Oh Merlin, what if he had taken her virginity?  
This wasn't the time to think about these things. After a nightcap and a good night of sleep he would return the book and let her know that he was sorry that he pushed himself on her. Also, that it could never happen again. It would be hard on him too. After all, they had gone from such a close relationship back to a student/teacher capacity... it was going to be hard on the both of them. She didn't need an old man pining after her.  
To be fair, he didn't need a young school girl lusting after him either. He was going to have to set this straight. No matter how beautiful the schoolgirl was... or how smart... how funny... how interesting... no matter how much he wanted to be with her at the moment... it would prove too hard and he had to do the right thing.

* * *

Hermione was now in bed, but she couldn't make herself sleep no matter what she did.  
'Maybe he was just doing the right thing', she thought to herself, 'Maybe he doesn't want me to have to worry about him while I'm finishing up the school year. Still... he didn't need to be such an asshole about it.'  
She turned over in the bed and wrapped the blanket closer around her. Crookshanks jumped off the floor to snuggle beside her and went back to sleep himself.  
'I wish I could fall asleep that easy.' She thought glumly, 'I guess I'll just deal with everything as it comes. Ignore him and pretend nothing ever happened... pretend that that wonderful, life-changing event didn't take place. Pretend... that that wasn't a fucking revelation.'  
She wanted to scream into her pillow. It was too much.

* * *

Severus had had his nightcap now and was lying down in his bed. His bed for the first time in a long time, even though in reality it hadn't even been a day. No one would ever know that anything had gone on between him and Miss Granger.  
'Hermione.' he thought bringing a small smile to his lips, 'Heeeer-miiiiio-neeee.' He let her name trail off in his head. He had to admit he had it bad, but it was for the best. No more of this. It was time to grow up and get some rest.  
'I'll be damned if I start writing our names everywhere with little hearts all around it. Imagine. Me? Doodling on a bloody scroll... Mrs. Hermione Snape. Preposterous!' He laughed to himself at the thought and then immediately frowned, 'What an ass I am.'  
He turned in the bed and watched the full moon out the window stare back at him as he drifted off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13: Boys in the Girl's Room

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Thirteen - Boys in the Girl's Room

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Themed: Places - Bathroom prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 13 - Boys in the Girl's Room  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: None so much.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^  
AN2: Hey all! All the chapters are written. The next few are really short and I already know how I'm going to do the update, so it should be over soon. Sadly, but at the same time, not. :D I never thought I'd finish it. :D Also, when I say REALLY short... I mean REALLY short. The next 3 updates will be teeny. So, just be prepared. Chapters 17 and 18 are longer and then this fairy tale ride will be over. Will it be a happy ending? Will it be a sad ending? Who knows! Lol. Right now I'm taking a short break before deciding if I'm going to continue with I Spy or A Mask of Gold first. Hmm. :D But, for now... I dine on Chinese food and watch some movies. BTW, everyone... feel free to add me on Facebook, I always post updates there. Search 'Mallow Cakes'. I'm the only one with a picture. :D Keep smiling!

Severus woke up the next morning ready to give Hermione her book andto be able to forget everything that happened with them between the pages and to never think about the events that it had caused ever again. Ready didn't mean that he wasn't still having flashbacks of her naked body on his, but he was at least going to do his best to pretend he was ready to forget it all.

He strode to the Great Hall, his cloak billowing ominously around him as he walked. He was back in his place of power. No one to see him at his weakest anymore. He kept his head held high as he walked past the Gryffindor table only to notice that Hermione wasn't sitting at her normal spot. He raised an eyebrow as he stopped and stood within ear's reach of Weasely and Potter.

"I'm telling you, Harry." Weasley was saying, "I've never seen her act like that. She didn't say hello to me or anything. She just walked right past me."

"Are you sure, Ron?" Harry replied, "Maybe she just went to the library to study. N.E.W.T.s are coming up soon, you know."

"This was different. Even Hermione doesn't skip breakfast. You know how serious she is about health. She was sniffling about and saying something about going to see Myrtle."

"Myrtle, Ron? You're mad! Hermione wouldn't go see Myrtle for no reason. No one would."

"I know what I heard, Harry."

"Maybe we should go check on her."

"I think she wants to be alone right now."

Severus had heard what he needed to hear. He wasn't going to skip the chance to get this over with so he turned on his heel and headed straight to the second-floor girls' lavatory.

When he got there, he knocked quietly on the door. There were sounds of movement inside and then a faraway familiar voice telling him to come in. When he did, there was no one in sight, just the long rows of stalls and sinks.

He walked slowly down the center, listening for where she could be when he heard a slight sniffle somewhere to his left. Glancing farther into the room he could make out her shoes in a stall.

"Hermione, is that you?" He cringed at the use of her first name. He couldn't take it back now.

"P-p-professor Snape?" Her voice was stiff as she answered.

"Yes."

The door to the stall opened slowly and she walked out, holding her head up. Her eyes were rimmed with bright red but it was clear that she was trying to hide that she'd been crying.

"While we're in this school, you will address me as 'Miss Granger', you bastard." She said calmly, folding her arms across her chest.

"I suppose I deserved that."

"You suppose, do you?"

"Okay, I did deserve that, but I didn't come here to fight."

"What did you think we were going to do, Severus?" She slung his name at him, "Certainly not a repeat performance."

"No." He knitted his eyebrows together.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to return you book." He said, lamely, handing the book to her. He felt like he was back in the book and young again. Like he was being scolded by his mother.

"Oh." She said, softening her stance and taking the book from him, "Fine, I've got my book. Now, leave."

"Hermi- Miss Granger," He corrected himself when her eyebrow shot up, "I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry that I acted how I did after... after what happened. But, you must understand that what happened shouldn't have. I was the adult and I should've acted like an adult. I'm your teacher and I should've protected you. Yes, even from me, and I didnt I."

"That's why you acted like a prat? You're my teacher? Are you kidding me? First of all, I don't think it was your decision. Secondly, you're not going to be my teacher very much longer. I thought you cared about me!"

"I..." do. He finished in his head. No, he couldn't let her know. It wasn't right. He had to let her live and chase after boys her own age, "I, um, that's the other thing. The potion, Miss Granger. It was a lust potion and a powerful one at that. I think the side effects still haven't worn off."

"You mean to tell me I won't feel like this forever?"

"Like what?"

"Like my heart's been ripped in two?" She started crying. The tears had finally broken through.

Snape's heart skipped a beat when he saw the pain he was causing her, but he had to be strong.

"No," He said, swallowing hard, "You won't feel like that much longer." He lowered his head and tuned to walk away.

"Severus!" She called after him, "Severus!"

He stopped without turning to look at her."

"I can't do this!" She cried, running after him and stepping in front of him.

His eyes were closed and he refused to speak or look her in the eyes.

Without another thought she kissed him as hard as she could and just for a moment... one brief and shining moment he kissed her back.

He realized where he was and what was going on and immediately pulled her off of him and swooped out of the room. His cape wafting around him, he rushed to his bedroom. He obviously couldn't trust himself to be alone with her.


	14. Chapter 14: Revelations, the Good Kind

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Fourteen - Revelations, the Good Kind

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Genre: Angst - Thinking of You prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 14 - Revelations, the Good Kind  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: None so much.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^  
AN2: Here's the first of the short chapters. This is a bit under 450, the next will be around 200, and the third, I believe is a bit over 350. I'll be posting this today and the other two Wednesday and Friday, as long as nothing goes wrong. :) Then, the last two will be on the following weekends. STILL trying to decide whether to continue with I Spy or A Mask of Gold first. There's also two other works coming in time. One's a darker story tentatively titled The Darkest Part of Me and one's a bit dark a bit fluffy and titled I Prithee Send Me Back my Heart. So, that's what you'll be seeing from me.  
AN3: I am LOVING these reviews! I'm so glad everyone likes the story! :D I know you'll all be sad when it ends, but I really like where and how I ended it, it feels like a good spot to me. Also, I realize what happened in this chapter seems a bit sudden, but it's purposly like that. Blame one of you reviewers! Someone on AFF gave me a plot bunny... which also gave you an extra chapter that wasn't originally supposed to be here. So... let's see where this goes, shall we?

Severus,  
I know you don't want to talk to me right now. I know that you think what happened between us was wrong but there's nothing you can say to me that would make me agree with you. What happened between us was a revelation. You are the kindest, most intelligent, and sweetest man I've ever met in my life and I wasn't happy until the day I got trapped in that book with you.

You tried to tell me that what was on the book was a lust potion. It offends me that you think I'm that stupid. What I feel for you, it's not lust... it's a different four lettered 'L' word. Besides, I know a transportation potion when I see one. Who do you think you're dealing with?

I can't get you off of my mind, you know. It's been less than a month and I can't think of anything but you. Well, you know me... academics and you. I miss you, Severus. I miss the world of the book where the rules of society didn't matter and we could make love in a castle and no one would care. But, that's not the reason that I'm writing.

The N.E.W.T.s are coming up and I'm afraid that I won't be there to take them. There's been a family emergency and they're going to allow me to take them here, so I was given permission to write you to let you know that I won't be attending any of your classes the rest of the year and I need you to send me my work here to my parent's house. You'll find that Dumbledore has been informed... and no, Harry and Ron don't know why, so don't try to eavesdrop on them to find out anything about me. You wouldn't do that, would you?

Love,

Hermione


	15. Chapter 15: I Miss You

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Fifteen - I Miss You

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Genre: Angst - Miss You prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 15 - I Miss You  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: None so much.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^  
AN2: Here ya go! :D I've decided... I'm going to post the next chapter on Friday. And then the LAST TWO chapters, I will post on Saturday and Sunday... I've got them done, so why not? Unless too many people object, which I doubt they will. Lol. So be prepared. :D Lol. I know this is REALLY short, but this is the way it's got to be. If you don't notice. I'm doing this for Mission Insane on Livejournal so I have to split up chapters so they go with the prompts. Lol. Anywhoozle, on with the REALLY short chapter. Lol. Also, again, feel free to add me on Facebook for updates on what I'm working on. Search Mallow Cakes. I'm the only one with a picture.

Severus,  
I just wanted to thank you for sending all my assignments to me as I've asked. All my other teachers have at least been writing me to see how I am and asking what is keeping me away so long. I thought you'd at least write to tell me how I've been doing.  
Of course, if you still find it too painful to talk to me, that's fine too. You're obviously not over me either... if you were you'd be able to talk to me and stop being so much of a child.  
I miss you. Okay?  
With my love,  
Hermione


	16. Chap 16: Are You Sitting Down For This?

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Sixteen - Are You Sitting Down for This?

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Genre: Angst - Regret prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 16 - Are You Sitting Down for This?  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: None so much.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^ She's the most amazing beta who lives!  
AN, the second: First off, this is the last short one, the other 2 will be posted Sat and Sun. Then this crazy ride will be over. Secondly, the AMAZING Random Mumbles is doing fanart for each chapter of my fic! Can you believe it? They are gorgeous! You should all go look, like right now. Link to her dev art is randommumble[dot]deviantart[dot]com just make the [dots] actual dots. :D I'm so excited! They're amazing! :D She's amazing! So, without further adieu...

* * *

Hermione,

I would, in fact, like to know both what is keeping you from my class and how you are doing. I would also like to inform you of something you already know... you're doing annoyingly perfect in my class, as per usual.

I do, in fact, miss you too. You're right in your knowledge that the potion wasn't a lust potion. You knew that too, of course. There's not much that I can say to you right now other than, I wish it could be some other way. I am in love with you, but you are still my student and things cannot advance further between us, at least not until you graduate.

I was a fool. I can't believe it's been 2 months since we got out of the book. I regret everything I've said.

All my love,

Severus

* * *

Severus,

I'm so glad you feel that way. I would love to continue seeing you after graduation. But there's something you need to know. Do you think I could come see you?

Love,

Hermione

* * *

Hermione,

Of course, Floo if it is urgent.

Severus

* * *

Severus,

I'm pretty sure it is... are you sitting down? I'm on my way.

Hermione


	17. Chapter 17: Confessions

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Seventeen - Confessions

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Genre: Hurt/Comfort - Sick prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 17 - Confessions  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: None so much.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^  
AN2: SPOILER for this chapter, just saying! Okay, people... it's midnight here, so technically it's Saturday. I couldn't wait til later. To the person who doesn't 'approve' of the way I wrote this, or rather what I went with, so sorry, but I didn't use it as a way to keep them together. They have a lot of chemistry on their own. It's just an added bonus.

Seconds later, Hermione had flooed herself into the professor's sitting room and found him in an overstuffed armchair, waiting for her arrival. The lines on his face were deep with worry as he awaited the news she had come to tell him. But, they deepened further when he saw her face.

She looked pale and clammy, as she wobbled forward to set in the chair across from him. It was obvious she was feeling rather ill. What could she have come to tell him? Had she gained a bit of weight? He wasn't sure; it had been almost 2 months since he'd seen her.

She sat down with force on the chair across from him and wiped her brow. Her breath was heavy as she worked to catch it.

"What's wrong?" He found himself asking as she held a hand up, wanting him to wait.

The silence continued until she calmed herself enough to talk.

"Nothing to be alarmed about, Severus." She said, "It's what I came to tell you, actually." She told him.

There was more silence as she looked around the room.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Well, it's kind of hard to say." She said, finally looking him in the eye and then down at her lap, "Rather, it's hard to find the words to explain properly."

"You said it was urgent." He replied, "I assumed that meant you should tell me right away."

"Yes." Her face started to look a bit green, "Do you care if I use the lavatory?"

"Not at all. It's just through there. First door on the right." He pointed into a hallway, somewhat baffled by her odd behavior.

She stood and darted to the bathroom, much spryer then she seemed when she arrived. He sat there drumming his fingers on the arms of the chair with impatience. She sure was taking a long time, but he wasn't about to interrupt her.

He heard some retching in the bathroom followed by the sink and finally the toilet flushing. It's obvious she was sick. What if she had a disease that was slowly killing her? Maybe she came to ask him for help to look for a cure. That had to be it. Of course he would help! He loved her, after all.

She needed to rest. He wondered if it would be wrong of him to ask her to rest in his bed for a few hours.

As she was walking back into the room, he stood and turned toward her. Before she had a chance to speak, he did, "Hermione, I realize that whatever it is you plan to tell me is important but it occurs to me that you might not be feeling very well and I wonder if you might not accept my offer to rest on my bed while you work up the courage to tell me."

She looked at him with a thoughtful expression on her face before nodding.

He walked in front of her and led her down the hallway she had just came from and past a few more doors until the end of the hallway where there was a black door. He opened the door, stepped in, and turned on the light before motioning for her to enter.

The bedroom was much how she imagined it to be, the bed was huge with a lot of pillows. It was all done up in green, silver, and black. There wasn't much else in the way of decorations, a few Slytherin banners and two bookshelves full of books. There was a huge black arm chair beside his bed and a side table.

He pulled the blanket down and fluffed up a few pillows before motioning to her. She walked forward with a smile and climbed in bed, lying on her side.

He walked around to the other side of the bed a sat in the large chair.

"Now," He said after he got comfortable, "What is it you came at this time of night to tell me about?"

"It's really hard to tell you this, Severus." She told him, "I'm really not even sure how to begin. I've sat at home for weeks trying to figure it out. I've talked to my parents. I've talked to Ron's parents. I've talked to Ginny and Luna, but I don't know how to talk to you about this."

"Listen, I don't know what you're going to tell me, but if you've told all of them, why is it so hard to tell me?"

"You don't understand. You're the most important person that needs to know this." She started to cry and he leaned over to her and hugged her, unsure of what else he could do.

"Why? Are you dying?" He said his mind racing.

"NO!"

"Am I dying?"

"NO, though you might want to."

"That's preposterous, Miss Granger! I'm hardly suicidal!"

"Don't call me that!"

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm sorry. I just need you to tell me what has got you so worked up that you're here this time of night, in my bed, in my arms, crying!"

Hermione stopped her tears as quickly as she could and calmed her breathing. "Okay, get a hold of yourself Hermione." She said to herself.

"Calm down and tell me what you came to tell me. There's nothing that will make me love you any less, Hermione."

"Wait until you get the whole story and then tell me that." She laughed.

Severus raised his eyebrow in question.

"Okay. Here we go... Let me ask you a question. Do you... no. Have you ever thought about having children?"

Severus thought he swallowed his tongue.


	18. Chapter 18: How Wonderfully Cliche

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Eighteen - How Wonderfully Clich

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Themed: Emotions - Happy prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

* * *

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class  
Chapter: 18 - How Wonderfully Clich  
Author: MallowCakes  
E-Mail:  
Rating: R; HG/SS  
Warnings: None so much.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.  
Distribution: By appointment only.  
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^ She's amazing.  
AN2: Don't forget to check out the fan art posted by RandomMumble[dot]DeviantArt[dot]Com! It's amazing!  
AN3: Yes, folks, this is the last chapter. I feel good about where I ended it, so I won't be adding another chapter or anything. As I said, I'll be continuing with I Spy or A Mask of Gold next and then I have quite a few other chaptered stories I'm going to be doing. Thank you everyone for your amazing reviews! I'm so thankful to all of you. :D

"Have I ever what?" Severus said, suddenly feeling as if he had tunnel vision and he was rushing through a black hole. He couldn't have heard her right. There was no way.

"I said have you ever thought of having children, Severus?" She looked in his eyes, on the verge of tears if he said one wrong thing.

He didn't know what to say. The moment was so fragile. Of course, he was going to mess it up. Of course! He was Severus Snape, after all.

"N-no." He said his eye wide. Holding his breath. Maybe if he held his breath, time would stop. All he'd have to do is reach his wand and he could stop time. He could hold on to this moment and not break it.

"No?" She whispered, the words drifting off her tongue like sprites in the forest.

The silence stretched on for what seemed like hours, when in reality it was only a few minutes.

"Well, I suppose I could take care of it..." Hermione finally said, she sounded defeated.

"Take care of it?" He replied.

"Get rid of it... you know."

"No, no, Hermione. I just said I hadn't thought about it. That doesn't mean I don't want children. It just means that I never thought I'd have them nor have a chance to have them."

"Oh." Her voice had gained a bit of life.

"You have to understand. This is a lot to take in at once. Just give me a minute."

She nodded solemnly and lay back on the bed again, giving him time to think.

Thinking back to the book, she smiled thinking of the old woman that had given her the advice in The Sword and the Stone. She said it would be alright if she wrote the letter. She wrote the letter... it should be alright. She just needed to trust her instincts and it would all turn out fine. He wasn't angry, after all. He was just a little shocked.

Deep in her own thoughts, she fell asleep in her bed, not knowing that Severus was watching her sleep for a few hours before crawling in bed beside her and holding her to him.

She woke in the morning to find him gone. A note and a dark green rose lay beside her it said"

Hermione,

I've thought about everything and I would be a fool to give you or this baby up. I love you, you see. It's very simple. I love you with all of my heart and I'm never letting you go again. Rules be damned, I can't help the way I feel. All I ask of you is to finish the rest of the year and perhaps we'll find a way to continue your education.

Also, I won't make love to you again until you are no longer my student. That's important to me. I think it's important for us. I will be back for lunch, my love. Please stay until then and I will bring you something, then you must go. I will see you soon. My books will keep you busy, I'm sure.

All my love,

Severus.

Hermione smiled as she read the letter over again and then hopped up to look at his huge collection of books. Everything was going to be okay. She had a great feeling about it.

Then, she heard a chuckle behind her as Severus stood in the doorway with lunch in his hand. He moved forward and simply said, "And I believe this is the part where they say... and they lived happily ever after?"


End file.
